Carve Your Heart Onto Mine
by Lollipopswilltakeover
Summary: A late night patrol around Storybrooke leads to Emma being kidnapped by an insane Hook. A man who has nothing to live for, no one to live for. What does he want with her? And how will this effect her life, her happiness, her family?
1. Bloodied Loves

**Kind of a song fic, but no song lyrics in the story... If you want the song, it's 'Until it Hurts' by Francesca Hall.** **A darker side of Hook.**

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Hook laughed, tossing the glowing red heart into the air and catching it in his palm. With every hit against his hand, Emma's breath went short. It hurt, but for reasons more than one.

The silver moonlight glinted off of his hook, making it even more sinister. They were in the middle of the forest, it was midnight, and no one was around. They were all alone. She had been doing her sheriff runs when he had clubbed her over the head. And then she woke up, her heart in his hands. She was tied to a tree, hadn't they been in a similar situation before?

Hook moved her heat into the groove of his hook, careful to not tear it. He then reached for a dagger with his hand and pulled it out. His handsome features looked dark and evil in the night. A dark, cold wind started whipping around, sending her hair about. She struggled to move against the ropes, the cold biting at her face.

"So, Emma, how are you?" he asked, gently stroking the flat side of the blade against her heart. Large shivers overcame her body.

"Just peachy," she hissed, venom in her words. He laughed, still stroking her heart. It gave a cold feeling in her chest and hurt, just enough for it to be considered pain.

"That's good. Do you know why you're here?" Hook asked. She shook her head. "No? Well, you see, Emma, I have a problem. And you're the cause of it." She waited for him to go on, but he didn't.

"What kind of problem am I to you?" Emma growled, keeping a strong front. He was obviously waiting for her to ask that.

"Well, you've invaded my heart like a parasite. And since you only appear to return feelings for Baelfire, the Crocodile's son, I'm going to make you love me," he explained, taking the tip of the knife and tracing a word or two onto the flesh of her heart, although she didn't know what. "And there's only one way for that to happen. I suppose I could always kidnap you and have fear turn to love, but that would take too long. This way, love is immediate. Now I can stop running around, trying to get you away from your family. No, now you can just _love me_."

Emma felt sweat on her brow. He was insane, driven by the death of his first love and his hatred, his determination for revenge. Hook needed, craved someone to love him. He was trying to fill the void that had become his heart once Milah had died. His revenge was now impossible, due to the fact that the knife had been sent somewhere far away. The only thing that had filled his life was impossible, gone forever. There was nothing left for him. He needed something in his life, someone. And he choose her.

Maybe he loved her, maybe he had simply tricked himself into thinking he loved her. But forcing her to love him, forcing her to stay with him for the rest of her life. That was pure insanity, pure madness. She felt sick to her stomach, forgetting about struggling. He couldn't _force _her to love him, right? No one could make emotions, not even Captain Hook or Rumplestiltskin.

"Hook, you're tired. It's late. Let me go, and we can just talk this out. We can go on a couple dates, whatever you want. This isn't the right thing, you have morals, don't you? This must be going at least one of them," she tried, shadows hiding his face. His cold laugh sent shivers down her spine.

"I have no morals left, lovely. I have nothing left. Everything is dark, Emma. I can't see anything, nothing is clear. But you, sweetheart, are my light. You're my savior. YOU WILL BE MY LIGHT!" Hook roared, slicing his cheek open. It started oozing blood. He then calmed himself. "I need you in my life, Emma. And I need you to need me in your own life. That's why I'm doing this. Not to hurt you, but to right you. You need someone in your life like I need someone. We can be there for each other." And with that, he took the knife and drew a straight edge at the edge of her heart. Emma gasped, the pain sending tears down her frozen cheeks. He branched two quick lines off that one, then paused.

"Everything hurts, Emma. Every breath, every heart beat, every rush of adrenaline. It's so hard, everything is so hard. You are my savior, Emma. You have to be my savior," he whimpered, a vacant look in his dark blue eyes. The blood beneath them made him look so helpless, so innocent. So crazed. Emma felt something rushing beneath her skin, magic at work. He was doing something, doing something to her.

"Stop this," she panted out, the pain almost unbearable. It was an effort to even breath. He ignored her, continuing tracing the lines into her heart. After slicing a few lines. Glowing blood pulsed from her heart with every heart beat, covering his hand and the ground. The crazed look in his eyes grew stronger, and Emma felt pangs of fear in her stomach.

"You will love me as much as I love you," he whispered, finishing his design in her heart. From her position, Emma could see a few letters here and there. It was a first name and a surname, she thought. Hook slowly walked over to her, the heart still dripping it's lit-up blood. It went dark as her heart went dark.

Hook put the knife back in his sheath and put her heart into his hand, then walked over towards her. His grin was matched to only those of the insane, yet it was filled with love. She didn't want this, she didn't want him. Maybe she loved him, maybe she didn't. Emma would never know.

Emma finally saw the words written into her heart. _Killian Jones_. Hadn't that been his name...? Not Hook? Emma felt sick. Just what was he doing to her? What magic was this? Emma didn't know and wouldn't know. At least, not until much later in her life.

Because the next thing she knew, her heart was thrust back into her chest and she felt magic and emotion pumping through her entire body. Then, she fell unconscious.

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Killian Jones smiled, looking at the blonde. She was beautiful, so full of light and hope. From the moment he saw her, he knew that she would save him. She would have to. Emma was the savior, after all. But as it turns out, not just of their small town.

She saved his soul, filled it with light when there had only been blackness, eating away at him. Every time she left was like dying, the darkness hitting him once more to it's strongest. But once she loved him, it would never come back. And they could be happy together.

Hook cut her ropes, then hoisted her over his shoulder. He thought about the bean he had stolen, how he would use it for them to start a new life together. A happy, blissful life. Where no darkness would ever touch his mind.

Once on his ship, Killian sent a farewell glance to the town of Storybrooke. It was strange, but he would miss it. After laying his love on a spare couch he had stolen from a store in town, he started sailing, throwing the bean into the Maine waters. The portal that formed swallowed his ship, and he grinned as they left. Just him and Emma. She would love him.

Cora had told him the once you carved your name onto someone's heart, they would love you forever. It would be a blissful love, but all magic came with a price. She would die before him, leaving him to feel the pain once more. But that didn't matter now. It wouldn't matter, not where they were going. All that mattered was that they would be happy.

Just them. Just their love.

Just Killian and Emma. Forever.

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**Even _I'm_ creeped out and I wrote this. Review, please. If you're confused, if you loved it, if you hated it, tell me. This is my darkest fic yet. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it!**


	2. Empty Soul

**From the** _**OVERWHELMING**_ **amount of reviews and encouragement to write more, I have decided to turn this into a 3 shot. I am also considering including this concept in a story, whether it's my current one or a new one entirely. I hope this lives up to your expectations! Because someone asked for Henry's reaction, that is what this ****installment is. The next one, the final one, will be Hook and Emma. ;)**

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Henry slowly climbed out of bed, everything aching. It had been 3 months since Hook and his mom has disappeared. No one had any idea what had happened, Ruby couldn't find them anywhere, and it was like they had just vanished. No bodies. No blood. No limbs. No clues. Nothing.

He retrieved his backpack from behind his bed frame and slowly slid out the window, as he had done every morning for the past 2 months and 2 weeks. It was only 4 a.m., a time where no one was awake except for some of the animals. Occasionally Henry saw someone, but he had become very good at hiding. They never saw him. He doubted anyone saw him these days.

He had breakfast every morning with his family at exactly 9:17 a.m. Henry would explore for 4 hours, then travel back to the apartment. He didn't mind the bitter coldness of the morning, the almost nonexistent light, and the loneliness. He almost enjoyed it, but there was nothing Henry really enjoyed. Not after they had just disappeared. Not after his world turned a numb gray.

His main goal wasn't Hook, it was his mother. If he found the pirate, maybe he would be able to point him in the right direction. Or at least give him some guidance. Hook had lost the love of his life before. And if Henry's assumptions had been correct, he had loved Emma. But Hook had vanished before he could tell. If he found him, they could just lean on each other. That's all Henry needed. Someone who understood.

Henry had inspected all the boats at the docks, almost every place in town except for library, where he spent every afternoon (he always knew if someone was there), a good portion of the fields, and chunks of the forest. Today he would be searching around the forest border. He quietly traipsed through the dirt, branch, and plant floor of the forest. He jumped every time he heard a sound, but he was getting better.

The forest looked, well, like the forest. Green and brown and dirty. Except, he felt that the bits near the border were always a bit more sinister. How a piece of a forest could seem sinister befuddled Henry but it still did. It seemed evil. Henry felt that every time he went there were dark skies. And sure enough, there was dark skies that morning. Darker than usual.

He first examined the trees, then the ground, then everything else. In the beginning, right after they disappeared, they had told him how it would be impossible to find them after two weeks. But Henry knew better. He would be able to find them. Or find proof of _something_.

Everyone had taken the shock badly. They all owed Emma a bit of gratitude for breaking the curse and she just vanished. Gone without a trace. Everyone had tried to find the missing pair, assuming they would be together, and he had watched as they ran themselves into a frenzy, searching everywhere. But they really didn't search. They didn't piece anything together. They just knew the two were missing and found nothing. Henry thought they didn't search hard enough.

Several came to the conclusion that someone might have kidnapped them and taken them over the border. Or just killed them. Those were the theories most preferred. That his mother and Hook were held being held captive or were dead. If they were dead, they would have found a trace of something, at very least. But Henry knew she wouldn't leave, not willingly, without at least trying to get word. And Emma would have found a way. And if she had been kidnapped, there would have been signs of a fight. A lot of signs.

His grandparents were slightly better than most thought they would be. Henry figured their logic was 'we loose each other, then we find each other again' theory. Or they were just in denial. Regina had given him a bit of break, not forcing any rules or anything. He almost wished she would. Henry needed something to hold on to. Some sort of thing to hold his mind together.

Being the youngest in a family of heroes, drama, and fairy tales resulted in him being overlooked. Not all the time. But everyone was trying to forget Emma and how she had touched their hearts and their heads. They forgot about him, sort of. He had always been so quiet, so he easily bled into the background.

No one noticed that he barely ate. That when he did eat it came right back up, willingly or unwillingly. That he had cuts on his wrists, usually covered with sweatshirt, t-shirt, and sweater arms. That he didn't sleep and when he did he woke up screaming. That he was tortured with dark and twisted thoughts. That he imagined burning things down to ashes, hurting things. That he couldn't, wouldn't, do anything until he found his mom.

Everyone had given up. Except for him. It was all up to a 12 year old to find two missing people. A slightly deranged, lost, crazed, and suicidal 12 year old to the boot. Everything had gone down hill. Henry missed his birth mother. Regina didn't know what to do with him. Emma would, she would have helped him. But for all he knew, she was dead and couldn't help him. If she was dead, no one would be able to help him.

Henry hadn't realized it but he had some a slight ways off his planned path. Dangerously close the border, in fact. Closer than he wanted to be. And that's when he spotted the dreadful scene.

There was a thick tree surrounded with cut rope and covered in blackened blood. It oozed all over the ground and on the bark, it's stench sickening Henry. He threw up whatever he had him just from seeing it, then stumbled forwards for a better look. There was thick scratches covering the entire tree. Hook marks, if he wasn't mistaken.

Henry fell to his knees, the tears staining his vision. Except to him, they weren't normal tears of salted water. They were tears of blood cascading down his face. That all he could see. Blood. Murder. Death. Everywhere he looked. Of every death he had read about, of every TV show murder he had seen, of how he pictured what had happened at the bloodied sight. They played right on right before him, the scream deafening him.

The dark haired teen let out a heart shattering scream, curled in a ball on the slightly damp ground. Henry started panting, not able to process anything. He just felt the hurt in his veins. The blood rushed to his head and soon all he could hear was the pounding in his head.

He was almost positive. Emma had been tortured, or perhaps killed. The blood proved it. There was so much of it, so, so much. At a closer inspection of the ground he was laying on, he noticed there was a dark red tint to it. He realized the blood had spread all the way over to where he was. But he didn't care. He just sobbed. And screamed. Laying in his mother's blood.

Eventually, David, Snow, and Ruby found him. Mute, covered in blood and dirt. A vacant look in his eyes. They pieced the clues together and wept with him. Henry remained silent, but the tears streamed down his face. They brought him to Archie, but he didn't speak a word. And he knew he would never speak again.

From then on, people were always with him, cheering him up and making him laugh, the most about of noise he would make. They helped him. Eventually, his family found out about his 'bad habits'. They made him eat, made him take care of himself. Someone was always with him, whether it was a guardian or a friend. But Henry still felt all alone. All hollow. And nothing would ever fill the void. Nothing. That's all he was.

Nothing.

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**I believe that is how Henry might react. Think about, in the episodes no one really pays him any attention. So, disappearing would be easy for him. And he just doesn't know what to do except search. That's my logic. **


	3. Ending Light

**The final installment of 'Carve Your Heart Onto Mine'! I hope that you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I have loved writing it. Thanks for reading!**

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Emma blearily opened her eyes to a wooden surrounding. The room had wood panels for walls, a carpet, a desk, basic furnishings. Emma blinked quickly, attempting to get the bleariness out of her eyes. Everything hurt and the world was swaying slightly. She just assumed it was a side effect of her killer headache. Then she realized it actually was swaying and wasn't just her imagination. She was on a boat.

Emma slowly stood up, her balance off kilter. Everything felt funny and off, as if she was in a daze. She made her ways toward the cabin door, but as she got there the door opened to reveal a certain pirate she should hate. Key word, should.

But she didn't. In fact, love and happiness rose up as she saw him, which confused her. Her hate simply wasn't there, and Emma wanted it to be there. It had simply vanished. She wanted, _needed_, to hate him. But instead, she loved him. And, surprising them both, she instinctively kissed him. He kissed back, smiling. She wanted to stop kissing him, but at the same time, didn't.

"Ah, so Miss Swan awakes," he teased as she pulled back, playing with her hair. She enjoyed it, but she didn't want to. Emma smoothed down her hair, taking it from his grasp. Everything was so different. Everything that had once been black had turned white, white turn black, and everything in between decided to go nuts. It all felt strange, everything be opposite of what it had been.

"What the hell have you done to me?" she asked, backing away. Emma didn't want to be anywhere near him. But she backed into the couch and flipped over the side, landing on the floor on her back. A shiver of pain went through her, and Emma winced. Hook went to help her up, but Emma scattered away from him. "Don't touch me, Hook."

"Emma, it's Killian, not Hook. And I haven't done anything to you. Well, not really. I made you love me. And now we can love each other and be happy," he explained, kneeling down next to her. When she refused to look at him, he sighed. "Emma, we're both hurt. Just cry, cry out all the pain. Get it out. And then you'll be happy. _We'll_ be happy." Emma was shaking, her emotions confused and untamed. So, she did as he instructed.

She cried. She cried and sobbed and simply let it all out. Emma didn't remember the last time she had cried so hard. Emma cried for her parents, Henry, Neal, everyone she had lost, all thanks to the monster kneeling before her. The monster she loved. And as she cried, she realized that when you loved someone, they might be a monster but as you love them, the monster is slowly stripped away, either from them or you just don't see them as a monster anymore. The latter frightened her. Seeing Hook no longer as a monster, but as a man, having not changed. That sickened her beyond belief. That meant that either she had changed into thinking like him, or loved him. And she was so scared of that. Of becoming him. Of loving him. Her two biggest fears as of the moment.

Hook, or _Killian_, as he wished to be called, gently patted her back, holding her as she cried. He was comforting her, and normally she would have pushed him away. But this wasn't normal. "It's okay," he whispered softly. "It's alright. No one is going to hurt you now." He held her gently in his arms. And for a moment, he didn't seem like a monster to her. Killian seemed to just be a man. A worn down man who had suffered a lot and deserved something in life. A man a lot like her. Who had more than his fair share of shit in his life. They were so alike. And it frightened Emma, sickened her. Because a bunch of her problems were due to him. But her emotions didn't care, did they? Most of her didn't mind, either. She was happy. They were similar. So, she let her happiness rule her. Emma would rather be happy then upset. Even if she would hate herself for being happy, happiness was a nice thing to have.

"Killian," she muttered softly, the tears still streaming down her face. He nodded, still holding her tightly. Killian was rubbing her back slightly, holding her like the most precious thing in his world. Which, she supposed, she kind of was.

"Yeah, darling?" Killian asked, delighted in the fact she called him Killian. She smiled sadly at that.

"I love you," Emma replied, kissing his once more. And the entire time, a war raged on inside her. A war between loving and hating him. No side would ever truly win, of course, because she loved him yet hated him for taking her away from her family, one she had just barely begun to really know. Emma decided to just try and block out the hate. Because love was all they needed.

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They lived on the Jolly Roger in Neverland's waters, never aging or dying. Occasionally they would visit Neverland to bring back food, but not often. For the most part, they just stayed on the ship and got to know each other. By getting to know each other, they really started to love each other. Well, at least Emma did. And Emma didn't know if it was the magic or just herself.

Her attempts of ignoring her pangs of loss for her family usually worked, but on more than one occasion Killian found her curled up in a ball, crying. He felt a twinge of guilt for tearing her away from her family, especially her son. He knew how hard it was to grow up basically an orphan. Baelfire, last time he checked, had been engaged to another woman. He wouldn't want to look after Henry, nor would his fiancé. His grandparents would have to care for him. That was the thing he felt worst about. But he told himself that he had done some good. That he gave her happiness, he had given her relief. A paradise. But still, her son often haunted his nightmares. All he could see was himself, all alone and scared, in Henry.

A few years went by, and the two still loved each other. The difference between the spell and Emma's emotions was almost nonexistent. She really did love him, they both knew that, but just didn't speak about. But Killian knew. He had always known. They were happy. Mostly happy.

Killian's darkness was still there, but Emma had driven most of it out. He was the pirate Emma had first met, except he loved her. No one else. Her. Emma hated it whenever he went back to the darkness, but she always pulled him out. Every time, it got a bit easier. And Killian loved her a bit more each time she rescued him.

Emma was always teeter-tottering on hate and love, but usually she loved him. She missed Henry terribly, and hated herself for leaving him. Hated Killian for taking her away. But, her love for her son was only rivaled by her love for him. Emma lit a candle for her family every night, as did he. Technically, they were his family too. They often discussed going back and telling her family that she was alive, to tell Henry that she was okay, but they weren't sure when or how.

They lived happily ever after, at least until Emma died. They had left Neverland's waters just for a quick vacation of sorts. They had been walking in a forest and been ambushed by 5 bandits. Killian had taken out 3 of them, Emma the other two, but one of them had fatally wounded her. And he couldn't sail them back to Neverland's waters quick enough and didn't have anything to treat the stab wound through her stomach. So, she died.

Her last words were something that never left his mind. "You know, even without the spell, I'd still love you." And then she died. Killian buried in the Enchanted Forest, his tears blurring most of the memory. A blessing and a curse.

Killian spent the year after her death on his ship, fighting his darkness. And then one day, he realized there was one wrong he could right. So, he took another magic bean (he had five) and sailed into the portal back to Storybrooke.

7 years had passed since he had last been there, but if he was correct, everything would be practically the same. Killian ran the familiar roads, anxiety pounding in his veins. He climbed up the stairs and knocked on the door, revealing a dark haired nineteen year old. His dark eyes were incredibly sad. The teen was tall and skinny, not to mention incredibly pale. Killian gulped, hand shaking slightly. Was he really going to do this? Yes. He had to right his wrong.

"Henry?"

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**There wasn't a lot of dark is this chapter, mostly because I wanted a slightly bittersweet ending. I hope you guys liked this story and to check out my other OUAT fic, 'Not So True Love'. It's not as dark, at least, not yet. ;) Thanks for reading!**


	4. Mending the Hate

**Okay, because so many people were practically yelling at me to write more and I had the inspiration, this will now be a story. I'm not sure how long it will be, but as long as I have the inspiration (and the yells from you guys) to continue writing this, I will. Now, onto chapter 4!**

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"Henry?" he repeated, and the young man nodded. Henry's eyes darted down to his hook and then narrowed. "Can I come in?" He got his answer by having a door closed in his face. "You could've just said no!"

The door then opened again, revealing the tall man. He held a note pad and pen. Written on the pad was, "What the hell do you want? Where is Emma? Where is her body?" Henry continued glaring at him, holding the notepad to his eyes. He quickly scanned the page, slightly confused. What did he mean, where is the body? And why didn't he just talk to him? Had his tongue been cut out? Was he unable to speak due to illness? Deep down, Killian had suspicions that it was something much worse than the common cold.

"Emma was murdered in a raid about a year ago. After we... departed all those years ago, we lived in Neverland. And we sometimes visited the Enchanted Forest, where she was killed," he said quietly, recounting the murder tale. It hurt worse that any pain he had felt before, burned his heart and scorched his insides. That wasn't even the full story, but he wasn't ready to even think about _that_ part yet. Henry quickly scribbled something down on the paper. He was glaring with hatred burning his eyes, even as he wrote. His dark eyes were as smoldering as burning embers, the nonexistent flames reflecting in his eyes.

"My mother is dead... When did she die? Didn't you kill her all those years ago? Why are you here? You took her from me, what do you want? You've destroyed my family, do you have any idea what you did to me?" As he read the words, Hook's heart broke a little bit more with each word. Henry then wrote down some more and showed him. "I've attempted suicide 28 times, have to be forced to eat, and have gone mute. You destroyed my life, and now you're telling me that it was all for nothing? That she has been alive for years?"

"Can I please come in and explain?" Killian begged, guilt pounding down on him like raindrops of fire. Henry remained his hostile nature towards him, but nodded. The apartment was the same, except there was a lot of photos, mirrors, post it notes, and blankets everywhere. The two sat of the overstuffed couch, the comfy atmosphere almost comical to their situation. He noted that Henry wore a large sweatshirt, jeans, and held a blanket around him. He was cold.

"Your mother didn't die 7 years ago," Killian began, hesitant. Henry's eyes widened slightly, and he leaned forwards, motioning for him to go on. He must have believed him now, that she hadn't died when he had taken her. That he hadn't killed her that night. "If you remember that around that time, I had gone missing. I wasn't able to kill my Crocodile, my love was dead, I had nothing to live for. There was nothing in my life. A darkness consumed me, swallowed me whole. Emma, she... Every time I saw her, she broke through the darkness and gave me just a bit of sanity. But she was always gone before I could relish in the sanity. Henry, I wasn't in my right mind. All I knew was that she brought me light. And I needed, _craved_, that light. And so, I kidnapped her. I took her heart, and did something I've regretted for the rest of my life. I cast a spell upon her. Upon her heart. It only worked if she loved me, even just a little bit. I carved my name with a knife onto her heart. Every night, nightmares of the blood dripping from her heart haunts me. I wake up screaming, terrified. Guilty. And I gave her heart back and left on my ship for Neverland. I loved her, she loved me. Emma might have felt the love for me due to the spell, but she told me that she loved me, without the spell. I'm guilty, Henry, I know. You have no idea how many times we talked about going back for you, but we weren't sure when was the right time, how to approach you... I'm sorry. And I cannot right all of my wrongs. But I can right this one."

Henry went pale, paler than he already was. He scribbled away furiously for a few minutes, giving Killian a stretch of uncomfortable quiet time. A quiet that Hook had really created. He had made the teen mute, hadn't he? He had caused Henry to self-destruct, made him loose his mother, lose his family. Much like him. Killian darkened at the thought. His childhood was something he really didn't want to focus on. He was focusing on Henry, not his youth.

He eventually him the notepad. "I found blood all over the sight where you did it. There was blood everywhere, you know that right? I fell onto the ground, which was basically mud damp with her _blood_. I fell in her blood, and when they found me I was covered in it. That entire experience turned me into what I am now. You destroyed me. And now you're back. Why are you back? To tell me this? That I could've had my mother for the past 7 years of my life but instead she was with you? No, I wish you had stayed wherever in Hell you live and left me in my peace." The fire in the lad's dark eyes was more than hatred. He was scared, upset. Henry needed someone to lean on. Somebody to give him comfort, a parental figure. Someone to comfort him when the darkness took over.

"I came back because if you're anything like your mother or the young boy I once knew, you can't stand not knowing things. You need logic, motive. It's been eating you alive, I know it. For the past seven years, at least once a day I thought of you. And how much you were like me. No parents to care you for, to love you. And I figured that knowing she loved you, that she didn't willingly leave you would help," Killian explained, trying to keep his cool. Trying not to cry, to not be upset... If someone had told him what had happened to his parents, he would have been so happy... Even if it was bad.

Henry took back the note pad and wrote some more. He felt a twinge of guilt with every letter the teen wrote with the strange quill, he had caused him to trade speaking in for writing. "I'm not the boy you once knew. He was cheerful, he had a mom, he had hope. I just have bleakness. Darkness. And this just makes me mad. Do you want to know why? Because you never came back. No one came back. You didn't even send a letter, a message, anything! It hurt so much, not knowing what happened to her. I thought you killed her, that someone killed her. Or someone just kidnapped you. I came to peace that she was dead years ago, and now you're telling me she was alive and you didn't come back. I don't know what hurts worse, but I just want you to leave me alone. I've done fine by myself. My grandparents still think she's coming back, after all this time. They have no clue what to do with me, and as much as I love them they don't know how to deal with me. It hurts, Hook. Do you know how much it hurts? Do you know the ache?"

Killian felt tears blurring his eyes. _Oh Henry, you have no idea how well I know the ache_, Killian thought to himself. His heart started beating faster, the pain overwhelming him for the first time in years.

"Henry, you have no idea how well I know you're position. My parents both left me. My mother willingly left me behind, and my father was murdered. I know the ache of not having parents, okay? And that's why I came back," he snapped back, tears pooling at the edge of his eyes. Something flashed in the boy's eyes, something like understanding.

"Why are you really here then? I know that it's not here just to tell me that my mother died." The paper seemed to growl at him. The words left his lips before he even thought about them.

"Because I want to know you. I want to know a part of Emma that I never really knew, her favorite thing in the world. She loved you more than anything in the world, and I need to know that part of her. You. And I can be the part of her missing from your life. I just want to tell you about her, learn about her from you. We can help each other. Henry, please don't turn me down. We both need help, don't deny it. We need each other, we need that missing piece of Emma."

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**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT.**

**So, did you expect Henry to react that way? Did you predict how their conversation would go? I hope that this lived up to your expectations, if you had any, for the next chapter. I don't know when chapter 5 will be up. The chapters are going to get longer and longer, or so I hope to do. Bye guys!**


	5. Back to the Past

**Thanks for sticking with me for this chapter and I hope you enjoy!**

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"Who ever said I wanted it?" Henry replied on the notepad, cold, dead fury in his eyes. Eyes that were once full of life and hope. Eyes like a calculating lizard's. Freezing and cold. Dead. Just, dead. No happy emotions, nothing good. Nothing but fury and hatred. And Killian felt awful for causing that pain in the boy's eyes. Creating that hole in his heart. Guilt scratched at his insides, making him feel even worse. But his temper was flaring up, and this time he couldn't keep it down. So, Killian let it free. Let his anger out that he had been keeping in for the past few weeks. And he let it out. He set it free.

"Because I know what walls you have built up. I have the same walls, or I had the same walls. Henry, keeping yourself isolated doesn't help. I know. Not bothering to learn about them doesn't help, either. Shutting yourself out from the rest of the world isn't helpful, either. It hurts, you think I don't know that? You think I don't know what I did to you? It happened to me, Henry. My entire family disappeared, one by one. Down the drain. Gone like my childhood. My family is almost as messed up as yours, and that's saying something. I have torn up families before, and I felt awful for it, just as I do now. But now, it hurts more. Because you're like me. I've done it twice, and I know, I don't change. But I came back, I came back to right what I did. Unlike before, unlike anyone else. So you know what, dammit, we're going to learn from each other," Hook snapped, shocking Henry slightly. And then the hate melted away, just for a second. Melted his steel shell Henry had put up, just like himself and his mother. The walls the wounded put up to keep from getting hurt. In that second, the walls fell like the walls of Troy fell before. Hard.

Pain. Pain was all he could see the in the young lad's eyes. Pain, terror. Henry was scared of everyone, everything. Scared of it hurting him. He didn't want to be hurt. He had seen that terror much like that in Emma's eyes long ago. His heart drooped as he knew he had caused that. But he was going to fix it. Killian would help Henry, help himself, or he would die trying. Pain, terror, and something else. Hope. The smallest seed of hope reflected in his eyes. But before he could be sure, his eyes steeled over once more and all the emotions he had found disappeared. Well, not disappeared. They were hidden away, deep inside. Trying to be free, but Henry was a strict warder. He didn't let anything past him. Not usually. He acted strong, act cold, but he was crumbling underneath his shell. Suffocating from his protections that he had put up. But maybe he didn't want them any more.

Henry accidentally let a few tears spill over his cheeks and quickly brushed them away with his gray sweatshirt, scribbling a response. Killian looked at the pale hands and long fingers the teen had. Good for detailed work, Killian noted. "What happened to you, Killian? What makes you think you're anything like me?" Killian smiled slightly at his name on the paper. He called him Killian. And that brought joy to his heart, for a strange reason. Henry was angry, angry as hell, but curious. And confused. Hopeful, just a tiny bit. And so many other emotions. Killian understood. Henry needed a lifeline, a tie to help him. He hoped to be that line, the one that brought him back to life.

He laughed bitterly. "It's a long story, Henry. A really long story," Killian began, but at Henry's eager eyes he continued. He would've have stopped for anyone else, but this was Henry. Two sides of the same coin, upset and naive. He was practically a walking oxymoron. So different from his two sides, hew was practically two completely different people. "It's no fairytale, either. For one thing, almost no one has had a happy ending. At least, not yet. Not that I remember."

* * *

_Killian, age 4, was walking across a ship's floor, laughing and stumbling. A couple barely looked at him, arguing. He couldn't hear much of it, but he knew what they were saying. Even at that young age, he had never once seen his parents happy. Truly happy together._

_"You're going to leave the boys, my unborn child, and I alone, and never come back. Jack, this is not healthy. For you, or for the boys to be exposed to this. I don't want this baby to be raised like this. Drop us off at the nearest port and don't come back," his mother, Elena, demanded. She had Killian's blue eyes, identical to the waters the ship sailed in. Elena also shared his pale skin, but that was about it. She had dark red-blonde curls, stiff from the sea air. He, __unfortunately took after his father when it came to his looks._

_Jack laughed, which sounded like he was choking on glass. "A little bit o' drinking neveh hurtz anybodies!" he exclaimed, laughing too loudly. He was drunk again, never a good sign. Killian winced. His father shared their darks locks and features with him. Something that Killian resented and would resent for the rest of his days._

_"You spend all your money on useless things! And don't think I don't know about her," Elena spat back, venom in her words. "I know everything, you drunken ass, drop us off or else." Killian paused in his playing, staring at the water intently while listening to the conversation. It looked so calm, so peaceful. He wished he could dive in and swim around, but knew he couldn't without a person watching him._

_Jack grabbed her wrist, hard. He would definitely leave bruises. "You're my wife, they are my sons, and you are not going anywhere," he hissed, twisting her wrist. She grimaced in pain, but she was strong and independent, something dangerous in women. Elena was definitely a strong spirit. So, Elena slapped him. _

_"They are also my sons, and I am my own person. Killian, come," she said, sweeping back down into the cabins below. His brothers were already belowdecks. Killian followed obediently, ignoring his father's drunken mutterings._

* * *

_Killian was now 9 years old and a man of the sea. Boy of the sea. His mother had stayed aboard the 'Blue Pelican' for Killian and his brother, to make sure they were treated right. No matter at what her personal cost was. Killian had two older brothers named Xavier and Adrian, along with a younger sister named Lilly. She had died when she was two years old, Killian 5, Adrian 12, Xavier 13__. They all missed her dearly, but they hadn't known her all that well to miss her all that much._

_"Mommy? What are you doing?" Killian asked, walking into his mother's room. She was shoving everything her hands touched into bags, her hands a blur. The room was a wreck, even the floorboards were partially pulled up or moved. _

_Elena smiled sadly, tears dripping down her face. "Nothing, Killy. I'm just going into town at the __next port and need to get some things. I'm going to be gone a long time, at least a week," she answered, bring the boy in for a hug. He hugged back tightly, wrapping his arms around her._

_That seemed like reason enough, and Killian excepted it. There was nothing wrong with it, in his young eyes. "Okay, Mommy. Bring me back some leather strips, please." Elena's brow furrowed in curiosity, then laughed._

_"What on earth do you need leather strips for?" she asked, ruffling his hair. Killian grimaced until she stopped. "Are you practicing your knots because we have a lot of rope already, Killy. We don't need leather bits for knot tying, sweetie."_

_"I need something to put these on," he answered, slowly pulling out a ruby-encrusted cross, a brass compass, and a large, tear-shaped, blue, pendant. Elena's eyes widened at his treasure. Killian looked pleased with himself._

_"Killian, where did you get all of this?" Elena asked worriedly, examining his hoard. She picked them up one by one, examining them thoroughly. He smiled at her reaction proudly. Killian loved his treasure, and was proud of it._

_"Well, I found the cross in a crevice in my room, the compass in the ocean when I was bathing one day, and this thing I grabbed from that ship we raided a few weeks ago. I have a few others back in my room, but I like these the best. I keep them on me at all times, they keep me calm. This one, the teardrop shaped one, changes color __depending on the weather and my mood. You see?" Killian exclaimed, smiling a toothy smile. Elena picked up the now-dark blue pendant. It was shaped like a fat teardrop, the point sharp enough to break skin and create a nice wound. They were all beautiful, created with great care and held much beauty._

_"Killian, this is something very important. Don't ever take these off. I'll get you the leather strings, but you cannot take these three off. I'll get you a couple extras for the others and just in case one breaks. But never take them off, promise me that, Killy." He nodded, a fierce look of determination in his eyes. Elena then kissed the top of his head and put the pendant back in Killian's pocket where the other two already were. She returned to her packing, busying herself._

_Killian then left the room, not noticing the tears running down his mother's cheeks._

* * *

_Killian was now 11 years old. He was already incredibly tall and had a nice thin muscle build about himself. He was apprentice to half of the crew, learning all the runnings and inner workings of a ship. Killian's talents were expanding the older he got. His brothers were then 18 and 19._

_Adrian was the nicer of the two, maybe because he was the younger of the two. He had brown eyes like their father, but friendlier, but the reddish-blonde hair of their mother. He was incredibly beefed up, but he was actually very quiet. Like a teddy bear. Adrian helped sort through all the treasure and made lists of everything they had. He had once confessed to Killian that he wanted to run away from their father's pirate ship and become a poet, performer, or singer. He was usually the one who sang to calm Killian down every time he had a nightmare._

_Xavier was just like their father, Jack. And not just in his looks. He was tall and incredibly muscled. His hair was as dark as the middle of the night with no moon. He wore it long and in a pony tail. His eyes were gray and sent shivers down Killian's back. Like threatening storm clouds, or the waves when they foamed during a rough tempest. Xavier had tan skin, like their mother. Otherwise he would have been the spitting image of Jack._

_"Killian, come 'ere!" Xavier shouted, drying off. It was bathing day, and most of the men __preferred swimming in the warm ocean over the colder waters they hauled up. The sunset was near, but not near enough so that the sky was an orange. "It's your last chance, lad. And we don't want you to get smellier then the fish." Killian scrambled over to his older brother._

_"Got it. Watch my stuff," he directed stripping down to his cotton underwear. Killian then dove into the sea, holding his breath as he hit the rough, salty water. He broke the surface for air, treading the water. If he squinted, Killian could just make out the form of his brother above him. He could see his brother smiling down at him and waving. And that's when he heard it._

_They had signals on the ship for various things. A bell ring meant a ship was coming, a double bell ring meant another pirate ship, and it goes on. This sound, a conch shell being blown two times, was not good. For him, at least. It meant that at least 5 sharks were close by._

_Panic flashed through his mind, and he was unable to do anything for a moment. Killian then snapped out of it and started swimming towards the boat, trying not to make a __splash or do anything that would get the sharks to notice him. He knew that the second he could get close to the wall of the ship, he would be okay. Killian could scale the ship's side in at least 10 minutes, which was impressive for anyone._

_He noticed the group of sharks at going towards the ship. There was one going towards him at a fast rate. Killian prayed that he would make this encounter out alive and intact with all his limbs._

_Killian knew his sharks type well enough. He could tell that the sharks were the 'white death' species, the most dangerous kind. And the most fascinating, to him at least. A shudder of nervousness went through him as he realized they were surrounding the ship. And the one that had been gunning for him wasn't letting up. Never a good thing when a giant thing was coming after you at faster rates then you can swim._

_Killian was swimming fast, but not fast enough. At the rate he was going, the shark would reach him a few feet from the wall of the ship. He was going at a constant pace and was scared to go faster, should he waste all of his energy and become shark chow. He didn't want to waste all of his energy with a few fast strokes only to be left with weak ones._

_His eyes quickly darted up to the deck of the ship. Men were running about, looking for rope or something to pull him up. But then Killian saw them. The two of them, standing right where they had been a few minutes ago. Xavier and Jack, looking down on him with deadly smiles. They weren't helping, just smiling down at him and the sharks. He realized that they had tried to kill him. That they had known the sharks had been down there. When the sick realization fully set in, Killian bit his lip hard to keep from getting sick. His father and brother had tried to kill him, for whatever reason._

_Maybe just because they wanted test him. Maybe it had been an accident. Maybe because they hated him. Maybe. But Killian knew that why that had done it was not for any good reason. A reason he wasn't sure he wanted to know._

_Killian swam faster, anger fueling his strokes. But the shark reached him. As he stared into the cold, dead, black eyes of the shark, Killian had enough reason to hit the damned thing. And he hit it hard._

_His fists pounded away at the gray and white sea creature, letting his anger and frustration out on the beast. He hit everywhere except the mouth, not wanting his arms to get stuck in the razor-sharp teeth and tear his arm off. By a some luck, Killian hit the shark's eye and gills, the only weak points he knew. The shark retreated a few feet, wounded slightly, and Killian didn't waste a single second. He swam for the boat, and was a few feet up the wall before the shark regained it's aggressive nature. He noted a dark red patch of ocean filled with fish guts and all the rancid food from the ship. This hadn't been an accident. Not at all._

* * *

"But no one gets their happy ending right away," Henry wrote, trying to be helpful. Killian's dark blue eyes regained focus, jogged out of his painful memories. "You can't have a happy ending without pain. Otherwise it isn't your happy ending. Everyone gets a happy ending, even if they don't realize it."

Killian barked out a bitter laugh. How Henry was so dark and twisted, but still naive. Naive and hopeful. Dangerous in anybody. "Even after all these years, you still find hope in everything. Like your mother. You're so much like her, you have no idea." They both had a moment of silence after the words left his lips, and then the scratch of Henry's pen broke the silent spell.

He watched at the young man wrote out his words, focusing intently. He crossed out words a bunch of times, as if figuring out how to phrase what he wanted to say. Henry bit the tip of his pen lightly, then resorted to tapping. Killian then focused his attention on the fading light from the windows. Orange light bathed the room, golden light. It didn't exactly suit the dark and tense atmosphere

"You didn't answer my question. Why are you like me?" The words seemed darker to Killian, the black ink getting darker and darker. A whole new world of black and bleakness. Opening the bruises and wounds from long ago, ones he had closed off in his darkening heart.

"A story for another day, lad. After we get to know each other better. I-I, I promise, a story for another day. Another night. But for now, we both need rest. Do you have an extra couch or anything I can use for a bed?"

* * *

**The longest chapter I have ever posted! I seriously loved this chapter, and I added the 'two sides of the same coin' for all my Merlin fans out there! Lol. I loved writing this chapter, you have no ****idea. We're going to be looking more into the past as the story goes on, and I have so many ideas. So. Many. Freaking. Ideas. Please review and give me your feedback, it inspires me to write more.**

**Bye, guys! Love you all! **


	6. So Many Losses

**I plan on dedicating at least 2 full chapters to the past, one to Killian's, the other to Henry's. I really like going into their past, so I was wondering what you guys thought of that. Do you like the flashbacks? This chapter is going to bring up a couple issues in both of their pasts. I haven't figured out their full pasts yet, but I have a bunch of ideas. Reading time! **

* * *

Killian opened his eyes to a rock ceiling, something unusual. Wasn't he supposed to be on his ship? Just before he shot up in the air, everything came floating back to him. Henry. He was in Henry's apartment. Killian wasn't quite sure as to where the grandparents were, but they definitely weren't there. At least, not yet. He sniffed the air, a scent tingling at his nose. At a deeper breath, he smelled bacon and pancakes.

His stomach rumbled. When was the last time he had eaten? What was the last thing he had eaten? He couldn't remember. That was bad, wasn't it? Oh well. He would get food then, at least. Just the blissful smell of food encouraged him to pull away from the lull of sleep and get up. There were few things that could get him out of bed, and food was one of them. Especially bacon. He blessed whoever invented bacon. And rum. He missed his rum. He would retrieve some from the Jolly Roger later. Maybe show Henry around his ship. That would be nice.

He shifted off the couch and walked towards the kitchen, making his hair less of a rat's ness while he walked. Henry was quietly eating pancakes and his bacon. He gestured for him to sit down, where a spot had already been set. A note was taped to his glass that said "Good morning." Henry nodded at presence, but didn't pick up his pen.

They ate in an almost comfortable silence, the sounds of birds chirping in the background. They both were lost in memories, neither knowing truly how similar they were.

* * *

_Henry remembered his first session with Archie after he had gone mute with __bitterness. The comfy couch seemed incredibly cold. His fingers tapped on the pillows. The sweatshirt covered all of his cuts, something he was incredibly thankful for. Even if everyone knew what had happened, he was still ashamed. Henry knew Archie wouldn't be able to help him. At least, not in the way he needed. What he needed was his mother back and to shoot her killer in between the eyes. That's exactly what he needed._

_Archie continuously asked questions, and Henry wrote half-assed answers. He could tell Archie was getting frustrated, especially since he offered Henry a Coke. He only offered drinks when he felt that it was going to be a long session. He felt the corners of his mouth lift, just a little bit. Archie also offered him some cookies. He took two cookies and the Coke. Caffeine was a wonderful thing._

_As the session went on, Henry got distracted and put his attention on the window. A family of three birds were just outside the window. He watched them in curiosity. Suddenly, a small storm of rocks hit the birds, killing the young one in an instant. He heard himself let out an unearthly scream, and then everything faded to black as he fainted._

* * *

Henry watched as Killian ate his breakfast with ease. Using utensils must be really hard when you only have one hand. He wondered how long it would take to get used to it. He knew that Killian, once upon a time, had both of his hands. How hard it must have been to adjust to it all. Then again, he had several hundred years to get used to it. He cringed ever-so-slightly at the thought of the man in front of him and his mother, but figured that age wasn't the biggest issue in their relationship.

He wrote to Killian that he had to use the bathroom, and excused himself. Killian continued to eat the breakfast Granny and Ruby sent over. No one really trusted him around open flames. Or knives. Or anything semi-dangerous. He snatched up his phone and leather-bound fairy tale book (it was his most prized possession) and locked himself in the bathroom. Henry texted his father, who hadn't spoken to in weeks. Well, wrote to, in months. Not that Neal would've noticed.

**H: Hey, Neal. Can I talk to you?**

**N: Henry, how are you? Anything bad happen? **Of course he would assume something was wrong. That's the only reason they ever 'spoke' to one another. When something was wrong in either of there lives.

**H: How did you meet Captain Hook?**

**N: Why? Never mind, he found me in the waters of Neverland. Took me in. Told me how his father had also abandoned him. No clue if he had other family or whatever. Nothing like that. Why do you want to know? Wait, got to go. Sorry, kiddo. Tamara needs help feeding Eddie. She needs to rest with the new baby on the way. See you next month.** Liar. He always lied. He always made excuses. So why was Henry surprised? Why was he upset that his father didn't care about him? It wasn't like Henry loved him. Then again, Neal probably despised him. A reminder of his mother, that's all Henry was to him.

He wouldn't be coming back to Storybrooke next month. He never came. Neal was always to busy with his perfect other life. He didn't want to focus on his psycho-son who was self-destructing. Neal never could commit to anything serious. Not that Henry expected anything left from his 'father'.

Henry rubbed his fingers through his longish, brown hair. So Killian wasn't lying. His father had abandoned him. But what else had happened to Killian? What had turned him into a pirate? Henry would have to do some investigating. And that wouldn't be too hard, considering the man was living in his apartment. And, you know, the book occasionally helped him out.

Struck by the thought, Henry viciously went through the pages looking for anything new. And that's when he found it.

It was just a single page. Just a picture. After several blank pages, a full page picture of a dark haired, hook-handed man was holding a blonde woman, who was bleeding to death. Blood covered the ground, and they were standing on a cliff. It was sunset. Henry put the book down for a moment and resisted the urge to throw up.

So. Now he had seen both what he had thought was his mother's death spot and actually where she died. How many kids could say that?

* * *

_A 13 year old Killian fingered the ruby crust between two fingers, which he often did when he was nervous. More often then not, his fingers were at the charm. Usually whenever his father or Xavier were near._

_It was late a night, although the exact time, Killian wasn't sure. He often went up on deck when no was around. On that particular night, there was no moon. The barest amount of light came from a few torches, but there still wasn't much light. He sat with his legs dangling dangerously over the side of the ship, the dark inky waters far below his feet._

_He heard the wooden creak of a door opening, and quickly hid behind a barrel. No one knew he was out there, and if anyone did he could be hit. Or worse. He prayed it wasn't Jack or Xavier. Hopefully, it was just Adrian or someone of the likes._

_The figure was clothed in a long black cloak. Over their back was a large burlap sack. Their fingers were twisted in anticipation, as if they were waiting for something. With a start, he realized the figure was his mother. He remained quiet, fearing that something was wrong below decks. He had learned long ago when to be quiet._

_Killian inched his was towards his mother, who was staring over the edge. From where he was, he could just hear her muttering, "Where are they, where are they? They told me they would come."_

_He peeked over the edge, and saw a small boat coming towards them. His mother's face flooded with relief, and she quickly unraveled the rope ladder. Two people climbed up. Killian was so confused. What was going on?_

_"Elena, are you ready?" a woman's smooth voice asked. The people both wore hooded cloaks. The woman pulled her hood down, setting free black curls. He couldn't make out specific features, but he could tell she was __beautiful. The man beside her also took his hood off, revealing blonde hair._

_"Yes. Are you positive that he said I couldn't bring Adrian or Killian?" she replied, desperate. The answer flashed through his brain: Elena was leaving the ship. She was leaving their family, she was leaving them. Leaving them to the mercy of their father. Anger flooded his veins, but abandonment was also there. He could barely keep himself from jumping out and shoving the people overboard. But once his emotions cleared a bit, he realized that he could escape this life right then and there._

_"I'm positive. Duke Arnold needs a nanny, but he won't take any children with you. You could have new start there, and send for your children in a few months. I promise," the man replied gruffly. Elena breathed a sigh of relief._

_"Thank god. But I'm not sure that Killian or Adrian will survive that long. Jack has already tried to kill Killian numerous times, I'm not sure how long until he succeeds." Killian's heart went cold. He thought the shark attack had been the only time._

_"Why does he want to kill the young one anyways?" the man snorted, confused. Elena glared at him, anger in her eyes._

_"Too late to explain now. Later, once we are safe. Now come, we have to get moving before someone spots us." And with that, the 3 descended down the ladder. Killian ran to edge, swung himself over the side __and started the descend. "Oi! Someone's follow ye!" someone shouted below him, and the ladder began to shake._

_"That's Killian! Killian, get off that ladder! Go back to bed, sweetie!" his mother urged. A wave of disgust came over him. She was leaving, and she wanted a clean getaway. Elena wouldn't want any witnesses. He sent a look over his shoulder and could just see the desperateness in his mother's eyes. Desperateness to get away. Away from their life. Their father. His brothers. Him._

_Killian stopped climbing, and the ladder stopped shaking. But he didn't notice, for he was shaking with rage and sadness. "Leave, you coward. Leave me and Adrian here to rot!" he cried. Killian prayed the tears slipping downs his cheeks weren't visible in the moonlight. They were._

_"Killian, I-"  
_

_"NO! No excuses! This was your choice, Mother. Your choice. Freedom or family, and you choose freedom. I hope you're happy in your new life," he sneered. His mother started to try and climb back up the ladder, but the woman with the ebony curls stopped her._

_"This is your last chance, Elena. We won't be able to come back after this." Elena nodded._

_"Goodbye, Killian. Tell Adrian I love him."_

_And then he watched as his mother rowed away. The person who had wiped his tears away whenever his dad made him cry. Who had tucked him into bed. Who had hugged him. Was now gone. She had chosen to leave him._

_And that hurt more then anything else he had ever known._

* * *

_The day his mother was __discovered missing, his father dragged him by the neck of his shirt to his office. Killain's knees banged the nails and wooden boards on the floor, scratching his knees and legs until they bled._

_"Oi! Boy, where is she? Where's the bitch, eh?" Jack interrogated, holding Killian by throat against the wall. Killian's feet kicked at his father, but to no avail. Xavier stood against the wall, eyes gleaming._

_"I dunno! She left, I didn't see what direction, nor do I care. She left me, why should I care for her," Killian tried to reply, the shortage of air to his head starting to show. "Can't breathe." His father forced him to the ground by his neck, causing Killian to sputter and inhale deeply. A hard kick to his stomach made him groan._

_"Bring in Adrian, Xavier. We need to teach Killian here not to lie. This is what happens to liars, Killian. They get punished," Jack hissed. Xavier brought Adrian in. His once white shirt was now splattered with brown and red blood. His clothes were in shreds, and what skins was visible was a sickly yellow. "Adrian hid the note your mother left, saying she didn't leave one. You don't tell us what ye know, something bad will happen to the both of ya." Tears sprouted out of the corners of Killian's eyes, but he managed to keep them from running down his cheeks._

_With one look at his brother, he sighed. "I wasn't feeling well, so I went up for some air. Mother came up, dressed in black. Some people came in a small boat and came and got her. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. She left us. Now, please, let Adrian go," he confessed, eyes wide with fear for his brother. Jack let out a cruel cackle._

_"Xavier, teach 'em to listen. Show 'em what happens when he lies." With that order, Xavier took his dagger and thrust it into Adrian's throat. He fell to the floor immediately. It had been a quick kill. At least Xavier had enough compassion to do that._

___His brother's eyes were now dead. They were still open, and Killian felt sick to his stomach. The rusty scent of blood wafted up to his nostrils, and he barely resisted the urge to throw up. Oh god, not Adrian too. Everything was lost. He got up on his elbows, __struggling. The kick to his stomach had definitely left a bruise, and he was still breathing heavily._

_"NO!" Killian cried, reaching for his dead brother. "No." Jack laughed cruelly, and Xavier just smirked. Killian felt anger building up. They had just murdered his brother, Xavier's brother, Jack's son. How did they live with themselves? Killian let out a snarl in anger. Jack kicked him again, and he groaned in pain.  
_

_"Take 'em back to his room. Don't let 'em out until I say. The cry-baby needs to mourn," Jack mocked. Xavier grinned, then hauled his brother up. He dragged him into his __quarters and shoved him inside._

_"You're next, Killian," his brother warned, eyes bright with anticipation. Killian slammed the door and cried. He just lost the two people in his life that had actually cared for him. There was nothing left for him now._

_His mother did this. She left, and got his brother killed. Anger rose in his throat, and Killian clutched his head. His fingers found a pendant and started to rub it, trying to calm down._

_As Killian calmed down, he gathered his thoughts. He would avenge his brother's death. He would leave this life as he and Adrian had planned. He wouldn't do that until both Xavier and Jack were dead and knew the worst pain possible. A pain that now consumed his soul. His mother, well, she would never have his love again._

_Killian Eric Jones would get his revenge._

* * *

As he left the bathroom, Henry hastily hide the phone and book. Killian nodded at his presence. Henry noted an open beer bottle that was half gone. He supposed Killian had poured it into his orange juice. He took his place once more, and started to write. Killian watched him in slight amusement. "How was your trip to the bathroom?" he asked, bemused. He ignored him and finished his sentence before showing Killian.

"What happened to you, Killian?" Killian took a large swig of his juice before wiping his mouth on his sleeve. His eyes darkened ever so slightly, as if he was recalling past memories. Past horrors. Henry felt a bit guilty for putting that pressure on him, but he needed to know. He craved it. His curiosity still remained after all those years.

"Not now, Henry. But I will tell you this." Henry waited in eager anticipation for the rest of his answer. His eyes were wide, and Killian chuckled darkly at his reaction. "Emma left you because she was forced. My mother choose to leave me. It makes a world of difference, Henry. But I understand your pain. So, we're going to stick through this together. Promise me that, okay?" Henry then noticed the darkness in Killian's blue eyes. Eyes that had seen horrible sights. Eyes that had seen the pain he had inflicted.

Henry wrote his response, confused. He wouldn't push Killian until he was ready. "I promise, Killian. I promise." He could see the relief in Killian's lives as he read his reply. He let out a sigh, and then grinned. It scared Henry, just a little bit. In the best way someone can scare you. Like when you see potential in someone as a friend. Hopefully that was a good omen.

"We'll help each other. You tell me something, I tell you something." Henry nodded. He didn't care what he had to answer, he craved the knowledge of Killian's past. Of his mother's past.

* * *

**Slightly longer then chapter 5, and I'm quite happy with that. Your thoughts? I'm proud of it. I think we're going to get at least one flashback per chapter. What did you guys think of this chapter? Sorry for the hiatus, life got in the way, so I dealt with it, then shoved it back into place. Hope you guys liked this chapter!**

**So, Killian's first revenge. He had to get his determination for revenge from somewhere. Avenging seems like a good place to start. Think about it, he wouldn't have so easily changed his life's goal to avenging someone if he hadn't done it before. It wouldn't be easy. What did you think of this chapter? Thanks for reading and all of your reviews! They brighten up my day! See you all ****next chapter!**


	7. Assassination Plots

**I have a surprise that's going to happen hopefully sometimes soon, really excited to add it into the story.** **Anyways, I hope that you all are well. Enjoy reading!**

* * *

"So, what are you going to tell me about yourself?" Killian asked after breakfast. Henry looked at him, confusion clear on his face. Then, like a light bulb, his face smiled. He looked very nice when he smiled. Happier.

He scribbled something down and showed him. "I'm a god father. Neal and Tamara have a three year old son named Eddie, and he's my god son. They about to have another kid. Are you an uncle or god father, Killian?"

"No, Henry. Didn't meet a lot of people that become fast friends in my lifetime. All my family died before they could have kids," he responded quietly. He found feel Henry's eyes on him, filled with sympathy and understanding. Instead of shutting up, like he wanted to, he went on. "My sister died a little while after she was born. My favorite brother, Adrian, was killed by my other brother, Xavier. And a few years later, I killed Xavier. They both died before they could have kids. So, no, I am not an uncle."

Henry slid a piece of paper over to him. "I'm sorry about your brother, Adrian. What happened with Xavier? Why did you wait to kill him? I thought that you would've taken your revenge immediately. But if it's worth anything, being an god father is not that great."

Killian gave the teen a bitter frown. "It's a long story, Henry. And don't judge me for my actions. If you had met my brother, you would understand better." At Henry's wide, almost forgiving eyes, he went on. That boy would be the death of him. "The story begins when I was 14. Adrian is dead, and my mother left us. I blame her for him being dead, and still do. But I also blame myself. Anyways..."

* * *

_Killian bid his time. Waiting, waiting to get his revenge. Every day, his hatred grew. For Xavier, for his father, for his mother. The only person he didn't resent in his family was Adrian. It was just his luck that the one person he truly cared about was dead._

_In that year, the crew gained 4 new members. Ross was the first to join, just days after Adrian's murder. He was 32 years old, and joined the crew as Adrian's replacement as second mate. Xavier was first mate. It wasn't that Killian resented him, but he wasn't sure how to feel with a strange filling in his brother's place just days after he died. Anger at his father was there, but he just couldn't muster up any for Ross. He was kind, but he didn't know him that well. He was quiet and skinny, the red hair on his head was the only thing allowing him to be noticed. He had grey eyes._

_The next man to join was came as a merchant. Logan spoke at least 3 other languages, and had a certain charisma that allowed them to get better deals for their (usually stolen) goods. He was 26 years old, and extremely clever. Xavier and Logan became fast friends. Killian tried to avoid him as much as he could, for he had a cruel sense of humor. Logan had light, honey brown hair with green eyes. He also had several scars covering his skin._

_The last two came a month before Killian's fourteenth birthday, Oliver and Johnson. They were already 16, just turned 16 in fact, and twins at that. Oliver and Johnson would be the ones nicking goods from attacking ships. They had matching shocks of white blonde hair and dark brown eyes. Their skin was incredibly pale, but not as pale as their hair. The trio became fast friends, and Killian soon learned their story._

_They had been abandoned on the streets when they were 7 years old, learning to survive quickly. They stole their ways onto ships, hiding and stealing from the passengers. Oliver had a particular knack for talking to people all while taking their prized possessions. He was the quieter of the two, more thoughtful. Jonhson could sneak into almost any place, which was especially useful when running from guards. He was just a little bit reckless and that sometimes helped when planning a heist._

_The twins swore they would help him in his revenge in any way they could, but the ship was their only home now. It was the one place they were safe. One wrong move, they were back on the streets. Or in a sea monster's belly. Either way, it wasn't safe for them to be involved too much. Killian was glad for his new friends, no matter what._

_It was a summer day on the sea. There was not a storm cloud in sight, yet Killian still had a bad feeling. Something had to go wrong, he felt. And his gut was right, at least, that day it was. Other times... Not so much.__  
_

_Killian was walking past his father's office, when he heard arguing. Deciding against better judgement, he peered in the keyhole, revealing Xavier, Jack, and Logan. Jack's face was red, Logan was smirking, and Xavier's face was wicked. "This is your choice, Jack," Xavier sneered, in his a dagger. "You leave the ship or I kill you right now." Jack's eyes flared with anger._

_"I'd rather die then not be captain of my own ship." Jack punched Xavier and ran for the door, but Xavier recovered unexpectedly._

_"And so you will be," Xavier hissed, sinking his dagger into Jack's throat. Killian ran for the deck, hurrying to find Oliver and Johnson._

_But just as he spotted his friends, Xavier came up, holding Logan by the throat. "This traitor," he declared, sending Logan to the floor, "has killed my father and tried to kill me too. I am now Captain of the Blue Pelican, and I say, WALK THE PLANK!" Killian went weak in the knees. Oh god, oh god, oh god... Logan tried to pull himself off the floor, but Xavier's boot held him down._

_"It wasn't me, it was him! I saw it, with my own two eyes!" Logan pleaded, but the crew just sneered and spat at him. Angry insults hurled at the man, and Killian felt a wince of sympathy. He tried to open his mouth to come to his defense, but at Xavier's triumphant and downright scary face, nothing came out. He felt sick._

_Logan was forced to walk the plank, and Killian heard him hit the water with a loud SMACK. Oh god. He could've saved him... Or gotten the both of them killed._

_Even if he had hated Logan, his anger grew, boundless. Xavier must be stopped. And he would stop at nothing to make sure that his brother would lay dead at his feet, knowing the pain Killian had felt._

_But beneath his anger, he felt guilty. He hadn't said anything, but he tried to make him feel better by saying it wouldn't have made a difference. Oliver and Johnson later told him the same thing, but hearing it didn't make him feel less guilty._

_Killian would get his revenge. And he would avenge every single death and tear shed due to his family._

* * *

"Xavier was one of the evilest, vilest people I have ever encountered," Killian explained.

"I can understand why you would kill him. But that doesn't make it right. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have killed him, but it just seems wrong to me. Then again, I have never met him. And murder isn't always, well, murder. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

"Murder is never right. I'm a sinner, but who isn't? And that wasn't all Xavier did." Killian grabbed a juice pouch from the fridge and brought it over to Henry. He shoved the straw through the small silver hole. "Thanks."

"No problem," Henry replied. Killian took a sip of his juice, let a sigh of relief out, and smiled.

"That's some good stuff. Nice and refreshing," he admired, turning the pouch around in his hand. Henry chuckled at his fascination with the juice. Killian liked the way he laughed. He looked happier, too. Like the eleven year old he had known all those years ago.

"So, come on, finish your story," Henry urged, intrigued. Killian shook his head. "Why not?"

"I'm telling you a part of my life's story, no, I want something about you before I continue." Henry glared, but wrote anyways. Killian watched him write on the pad, smirking. Henry roughly handed him the sheet of paper.

"I didn't eat for an entire week after I came to the conclusion that my mom was dead. No one noticed. No one noticed until I fainted in Granny's. I was 14 at the time, and my sessions with Archie had been down to only once a month. It hadn't been like that since I started therapy when I was 7 years old. Everything had seemed really, really cold at the time, and I just kept quiet. I didn't write to anyone, nothing. Bad things invaded my head like parasites."

* * *

_Henry was sitting in his chair by the window, staring out aimlessly. Everything felt cold, and the pressing darkness that held his thoughts captive wasn't letting up._

_'Go,' it urged, the slimy darkness taking over his mind. 'Cut yourself, bleed. Enjoy the pain, little one.' Henry barely fought it. The darkness pressed in on him, urging him what to do. He wanted something, needed something. Light. He needed light. But he couldn't find any. So, the darkness grew. And he couldn't tell anyone. It had that much control over him that he couldn't even open his mouth to try to say anything._

_He could barely fight it anymore. Everything seemed bleak. He was determined, though. Henry would fight for light, his sanity, until it finally took over him. He would find his light. Needed to find his light._

_And he would do anything to keep the light in his life._

* * *

"A darkness, I would say. It just took over me." Killian's eyes flashed with... Something. Henry wasn't sure what, but it wasn't good, he knew that.

"When did this, darkness, take over you? Is it still there?" he asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth like he couldn't get them out fast enough. Henry looked at him curiously, but wrote a reply.

"Right around the time I went mute."

"You didn't answer my second question."

"Yes. It's still there."

"Do you feel like you need a... Light?" Henry's stomach dropped. How did he know of his need? The need for the light, the thing that had existed before... He craved it, needed it light a drug. He was addicted to it. Light was something everyone had, everyone felt, but once it was gone, you realized it was a drug.

"Yes."

The two then had a stare down, examining the other carefully. Killian knew something, he was sure of it. But what ever he knew, his eyes didn't reveal it. Eventually, Killian cleared his throat, breaking their contest. 'Later,' his eyes screamed.

"So, where was I?" Henry knew that Killian was purposely avoiding their former topic. A conversation for a later date, Henry supposed. Killian obviously didn't want to talk about it, and he would respect that. For now. Later, when he wasn't telling him about his past, he would press him. Henry smiled slightly at the thought, but Killian didn't notice.

"Ah, that's right. Now I remember."

* * *

_Killian was 15. He had worked his way up to first mate, pretending to admire his brother. It was all part of his plan. Get close to his brother, then kill him. Make him pay._

_Sure, he had qualms about killing, but he knew that he needed to avenge his brother. Logan was more of an afterthought, along with his father. His father had been a source of his misery for years, practically since he had been born. He did not mourn for the loss of his father._

_They were docked at port. Xavier was trading with someone, all while Oliver and Johnson stole everything that wasn't for sale. Killian was his brother's right hand man, right there beside him. Over the course of the year, Killian had gained his brother trust. Xavier thought he was safe from him. He couldn't have been more wrong._

_That night, Killian decided something: His revenge would start tomorrow. He informed Oliver and Johnson of his plan, the only two he trusted. The trio had grow closer then anything Killian had ever known. He couldn't compare it to being like family, considering what his family was like. Or had been like. But he supposed their relationship was like the relationship between brothers should be like: Joking, wrestling, arguing, goofing off._

_"Killian, are you sure you can do this?" Oliver asked worriedly._

_"Positive. Even if I can't, I have to. If I die, I want you guys to have my pendants. Make sure no one else gets them, and if you can't get them throw them overboard. I need to do this," Killian replied more confidently then he felt._

_"Yeah, Ollie, have some faith in him!" Johnson joked, gently punching his brother. He tried to keep the situation as light as possible. "When will you be putting the plan into action?"_

_This one Killian had the answer to. "Noon. When everyone is on the deck. I'm bring two daggers and a sword. Xavier plays dirty, there's no way I'm not going prepared." Johnson nodded, accepting his answer._

_"Still... Killian, please be careful. If you loose, you die. We can't... We can't be torn apart. We're brothers bound in blood, remember?" Oliver tried. He was more unnerved by his plan then Johnson, possibly because he had a slightly more tragic tale then Johnson._

_Though the two brothers had been kicked out together, the two often separated to get enough to support themselves. They lived together, but rarely saw each other. And that's where Oliver's tale got tragic._

_When Oliver was 13, he met a girl. They became partners in crime, stealing enough to support each other. Oliver had said on more then one occasion that he had felt hope, pure, genuine hope for the first time since they had been abandoned when he was with her._

_Her name was Lyla, and she had long wisps of blonde hair. Oliver said her skin had been a healthy color, with icy green eyes. A beautiful laugh, like wind chimes. And then one day, a robbery went terribly wrong._

_Oliver refused to divulge most of the details, but what he did say could bring almost any one to tears. Apparently they had stole something, something that would have made them richer then rich, more than enough to support Lyla, himself, and Johnson. And they had gotten caught by a gang._

_Lyla had been carrying the goods once they were almost home when one of the men had grabbed her by her hair and yanked hair back, ripping pieces out. "Look-y 'ere, boys, the little maggots got somethin'," he roared, laughing heartily. He pulled at her hair some more, and Lyla winced. Oliver tried to get to her, but three men held him back, happily giving him a punch or something whenever he tried to run._

_The leader of the gang had walked out of the tavern, twirling a dagger around his fingers. He was clad in black leather. The few parts of his outfit that wasn't leather was red, possibly stained from blood._

_"Whad do 'ey got?" he slurred. The one holding Lyla shoved her forward, sending her flying to her knees. She clutched their goods to their chest still, head down in stubbornness. Oliver could only watch as the entire encounter, stuck in place.__  
_

_The leader's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Well, aren't the two of ye some hard 'ore thieves, hmm? Give it 'ere, and no one gets hurt." Lyla shook her head. A deathly twinkle started up in his eyes. "Aren't you a stubborn lass? Give it 'ere."_

_Lyla shook her head again. Then, more boldly, she said, "Over my dead body." And then she punched him, and grabbed her knife. "Anyone else?" The leader rose up behind her, and got her in throat hold._

_"That will be arranged. Aarogan, you know what to do." The leader tilted his head. The beefiest man of the group came forwards, brandishing a metal club with large spikes on it. Then the leader noticed Oliver, and smirked. "Oi, this your lover, boy?" Oliver refused to look him in the eyes. "I said," the man said, kicking him harshly in the ribs, "This your lover, boy?" When he didn't answer, he smirked. He leaned in close. Oliver said he had smelled of ale and run, a sickening scent. "You can stay alive, Lover Boy. Make you into a man. Aarogan, do it. Now."__  
_

_Aarogan raised his metal club, and Oliver lost all speaking ability. Just before it hit her, Lyla mouthed 'I love you' to him. THen Aarogan struck._

_The spikes embedded themselves in Lyla's stomach, causing her to cry out. She still didn't let go, holding onto it like a lifeline. Oliver thrashed, but to no avail. There was no way he could help. The leader just kept on smirking. "Go on." Again and again, Aarogan's club went down. It went to a point where Oliver couldn't see Lyla, just blood. Eventually he stopped, and the leader swooped down and plucked the goods up. "Let this be a lesson to you, Lover Boy. Love is just weakness." And then they all walked away. Oliver was dropped to the ground, passing men occasionally kicking him. Oliver drew himself off the ground, a crazed look in his eyes._

_After that, all he ever said was that day was the first time he had ever killed, and it had taken weeks for all the blood to leave him person. He had buried Lyla by the sea, right where they had met. He and Johnson had grown together after that, and then they became more then brothers. They were partners in crime and were friends._

_"Don't worry, Oliver," he replied quietly. "Everything will be fine and go as plan. No worries, remember?" _

_"You realize that if everything goes as planned, you'll become Captain," Johnson added, smiling._

_"Yeah. And I already have my first and second mate picked out," he replied calmly. The trio continued to plot, Killian remaining at ease. But his easy-going outside didn't show his nervous insides. His fear. His need to do this. His anger, fury. His determination._

_His will to let nothing stand in his way._

* * *

**Whoop whoop! Longer than the last chapter! I hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm warning you know, I have at least 2 deaths planned for next chapter. Giving you guys something to look forward to! Be excited!**

**So, what did you think of 'the Darkness' in Henry? All I'm saying it is NOT a coincidence that when Henry visited the supposed death spot, the Darkness entered. And his need for light... If you guys have any theories about that, let me know. Theories on anything, like who Henry's light might be, what the Darkness is, etc. I'm juggling a couple ideas around. :)**

**Oliver's backstory, what did you guys think of it? Lyla's death? I do plan on using Oliver and Johnson for at least a few more chapters. I have plans for them. I have plans for a lot of things, actually. *Smirks while stroking a white, fluffy cat* Mwhahaha!**

**Do you guys want more of Henry's past and less of Killian's, or just more of Henry's and the same amount of Killian's? I apologize for all the questions, I'm a very curious person. Anyways, I hope that you're enjoying the story. Do you guys want less of the past next chapter and more of the present? I am considering doing that.**

**Wow, long Author's Note. Sorry about that. Love you guys, and don't forget to review! See you guys next time! :)**


	8. Sailing Away

**Another day, another chapter! Yay!**

* * *

"So, what do you do around here for 'fun'?" Killian asked, breaking off his story just before he told what happened when he challenged his brother.

"What? You _cannot_ leave off there!" Henry complained, but with a look from Killian his pouty face stopped. It was hard for him to recount all of that all at once. He needed something fun to do, something distracting. "We do nothing. Go to Granny's, the library, the docks. Rent a movie." As he read the words 'docks', Killian smile widened considerably. Henry got an uneasy, nervous feeling. A good nervous feeling, if that makes any sense.

"Have you ever been sailing?" Henry shook his head. "Well, you're going to now. It's lots of fun, promise. And it takes your mind off of a lot of things. Get your coat and stuff, we're going aboard the Jolly Roger. Do you need to tell anyone you're going somewhere?" Killian asked, excited. Henry could see, plain as day, that he loved the sea. It was his home for hundreds of years, a place of comfort for Killian. And Henry would respect that. He nodded, smiling.

Killian smiled, and for a second Henry could see the young, 14 year old Killian being on a ship, enjoying himself. The seas were a big part of Killian's past, and Henry would gladly be apart of it. He had always loved the water anyways. Sailing would be fun for him. It was something that he had always wanted to do, but no one ever showed him.

Henry felt the Darkness pressing in, and barely forced it out. 'No,' he thought stubbornly, 'You will not ruin this for me, not this time.' For once, the Darkness remained silent, a factor Henry was grateful for and suspicious of. Everything the Darkness did was carefully planned, examining the best way to destroy him. Killian's voice jarred him out of his thought process.

"I'll text Mary Margaret now. She and David are probably at Granny's, which gives us about 15 minutes to get to the docks before she comes after us, demanding answers. Let's go." Killian chuckled, pulled on his coat and boots, and followed in suit after Henry. He did not want to be on the receiving side of Mary Margaret's anger. Then again, who did? A mother's fury is something you should never mess with.

* * *

Killian watched as Henry took in the beauty of his ship. Killian smiled in pride at his reaction. He looked very happy, excited. Like a little kid. Killian hadn't seen him this happy since he had last seen him, 7 years ago. He smiled and rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Come on, this is gonna be loads of fun," he called, heading up onto his ship. Henry nervously followed. He obviously hadn't spent a lot of time on boats. Yet, he had natural sea legs he noted as Henry walked aboard. Killian smiled as he sailed the boat out to see. He figured that it would be easier if he got them out on the open sea and then had Henry master the harder parts of sailing. Or what he figured would freak him out the most.

Killian calmly sailed them out just enough so that they couldn't see land. Safest place they could be when learning. Safe from crashing and from Henry's grandparent's wrath. David's sword couldn't slice him there.

"Okay, so first I'm going to show you how to work the helm," he directed, motioning the teen closer. Henry went, not touching the helm. "Come on, it's not that hard." Henry nervously put his hands on the helm. Killian smiled. "Look here, left is port and right is starboard. It's scratched in, right there, if you need help." Henry nodded, smiling ever so slightly. "Now, go three notches starboard, just like that." Henry did as instructed, and the ship turned to his command. "Well done, Henry. You remind me of Baelfire, many, many years ago..." he trailed off, and Henry nodded. He understood.

Henry wrote a quick note, then showed Killian. "How does the ship move? Like, what powers it? Fairy dust like in the Disney movie 'Peter Pan'?" Killian laughed, smiling. He had no clue what Disney was. He'd ask about it later.

"It's a long story, but the Jolly Roger isn't your average ship. It has magic to power it, a very useful feature when you need a fast get away. And it has a few other, well, _unique, _features to say the least," Killian answered, smirking. He would definitely show Henry some of his ships abilities... Another time.

And that's how they spent the afternoon. Killian instructed Henry, showing him how to maneuver the ship in a certain direction. He saw Henry looking happy, sailing the Jolly Roger around. They were moored in the middle of the ocean, relaxing and resting. Henry had thought to pack food, so they ate lunch. "You're a natural," he had commented after a few hours. Henry shrugged, then wrote a response.

"I just have a good teacher. You were probably expertly sailing this thing when you were 3 years old or something. Right?" Henry asked, cocking an eyebrow in curiosity. He laughed, smirking.

"No, definitely not. I was raised on a ship, actually. If I hadn't been raised the way I was, I would probably be worse than a child," he scoffed, smiling. "But if I didn't have sailing, well, I don't know what I would've been like."

Just before sunset, Henry sailed them in, Killian watching him carefully as to make sure they didn't crash. Just in case. He believed in Henry, but accidents happened to even the best sailors.

As they neared the docks, Killian saw Mary Margaret and David squinting their way. Killian noted that David had both his sworf and his gun in his belt. Crap. He was ready for a fight. He retrieved his own sword, just to be safe. "Be prepared to answer some questions, kid," Killian advised, and Henry nodded. He took a deep breath and shook out his nerves through his hand and hook.

He was ready to face the parents. He knew it. Then why was Killian so nervous?

* * *

"Where have you been, Henry?" Snow fretted, swaddling Henry as he descended the ship. He held up the paper that already had his answer.

"With a friend." David glared at the ship. He obviously recognized it, and did not like that his grandson was spending time with a pirate who had been missing for 7 years year. Someone who had been missing for just a bit longer than Emma.

"Hook!" David yelled, walking aboard the ship. Killian looked up from coiling some ropes. He smiled. No, he did not smirk, but smiled. A friendly smile. Trying to give a good impression, a peaceful appearance.

"Hullo again, David," he greeted, going to shake his hand. David made no moment to reach out and shake his hand. "How are you?" David grabbed him by the collar and pressed him up against the wall. Killian grunted, a sharp piece of wood piercing his back.

"Where's my daughter, Hook? Did you kill her? Huh? Is she dead? What did you do with her?" he hissed, slamming him against the wood once more. "Where is Emma?"

Killian swallowed his sorrow at her name. "She-" he began, only to be cut off by Mary Margaret's sobs.

"David!" she cried, leaning against Henry as he helped he up. David let him go, and he crumbled to the floor.

"What? Are you hurt? What's wrong, Snow?" he asked, giving his wife a hug. Snow let out a sob.

"Henry-Henry told me what happened to Emma. She and Killian were kidnaped and brought to Neverland. Their captors killed Emma, and Killian barely escaped. He had tried to save them both, but it was too late. There was no chance to rescue her by the time he got out of their cell," she whimpered, and David held her tighter. Killian gave Henry a confused look, and Henry just gave him a sad smile and mouthed 'Later'.

"Oh god. Emma, our darling Emma," Snow cried, tears running down her face. Henry awkwardly patted her back.

"So, what's _he_ doing here?" David sneered as they broke apart. He obviously hated him. Understandable, Killian supposed. He was upset that he had 'escaped', and not Emma. Then again, Killian couldn't blame him. He would be angry too.

"I came to tell you. Not knowing what happened to your loved ones is a fate worse than death," he replied wistfully. He should know. David walked up to him, face almost red.

"How would you know, huh? What pain have you ever expieren-"

"David!" Snow stopped him, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. She gave Killian an apologetic look. "He's just upset, we all are. Thank you for telling us. Will you be staying in Storybrooke, or going back to the Enchanted Forest?" Her voice was hopeful as she said 'Enchanted Forest'. David glared at her. It was obviously an argument they had before.

"It's fine, Mary Margaret. I get it," Killian acknowledged and left it at that. Snow gave him a sympathetic smile, tears running down her pale pink cheeks. "She was always saying how much she missed you all, how much she loved you guys," he added. It was true. A fresh bought of tears appeared on her face, and Snow leaned into David's shoulder once more, sobbing.

"So, what were you doing with Henry?" David replied gruffly, obviously not wanting to warm up to him.

"I took him sailing. It takes my mind off of things, and I figured it would help him. Plus, I owed him, considering he took me in last night when I told him," he said smoothly.

"You told Henry before us?" Snow's hurt voice came out of David's shoulder.

"I went where I knew you lived before. It was late, and he offered to let me sleep on the couch for the night. He's a very kind gentleman," Killian added. Henry gave him a smile.

"Oh." For a moment, sorrowful silence overcame the boat. Even the waves seemed to silence.

"How... How did she die?" David asked, voice breaking slightly. His emotion was coming through, not his hatred for Killian. A good thing, he supposed.

"They stabbed her in the stomach. I was there right before they... You know. It haunts my nightmares, not getting there in time." He wasn't all that surprised that the lies came out as easily as the truth. It was the truth. The truth mangled and twisted to a lie. But that had been how she had died. Killian still felt like he was lying. He was used to lying by now, though. It came as a second nature, far too easy. He supposed it was bad it came so easily, but at times like this, it was useful.

David nodded. "Would you like to stay with us until you go back to Neverland?" Snow offered, wiping tears from her face. "David and I have a spare bedroom at our place, and there's a few empty apartments in town." David, instead of glaring at his wife like Killian expected he would, smiled, just a bit. "It's the least we could do."

But Henry shook his head, wrote something down, and handed it to Snow, who read it. Killian craned his neck ever so slightly to read it. "Can he stay with me? He did a good job of handling me. And you're always saying you want someone with me. He's a good guy, David, Snow. And he said he would tell me about Emma, everything I wanted to know. I think it will really help." Snow, David, and Henry then had a rushed conversation. Henry wrote another answer, and Snow sighed, then nodded.

"Killian, do you want your own apartment, stay with us, or stay with Henry?" Snow asked stiffly.

"I'll stay with Henry. He's been showing me around town," he answered, and Henry smiled. David nodded, and the four all walked off his ship.

"We'll see you tomorrow, okay? We can get you some other clothes and stuff," David said. Henry and Snow walked ahead, and David pulled him aside. "Be careful to watch out for Henry. Please, we can't... We can't loose him too."

Killian nodded. "I get it. If you ever want to talk more about what happened, you know where I am." And the two men nodded and parted ways.

* * *

"Why did you lie?" Killian asked once they got back to the apartment. He didn't want anyone else to overhear their conversation. Apparently Henry knew that he would ask that, and had already scribbled a response.

"Well, David would have killed you in two seconds if he knew the truth, no matter what it was. I can't say I've quite forgiven you for all of it, but coming back here... That takes guts, Killian. And you are a good guy, just made some bad choices. And you made my mom happy, which counts for something. I want to know more about her, what happened to you guys. And you've helped me. I've found myself being happier than I have been in a while. It's like getting a piece of my mom back, you know?" Killian was stunned. Henry liked him. He smiled.

"Thanks, Henry. It's nice to know that. Tomorrow, do you want to exchange stories about your mom? It's kind of late now..." Killian trailed off. It was only 9:45, but Henry understood. It was overwhelming, all of it.

Henry nodded, and started to go up the stairs. "Wait," Killian called. Henry looked back at him, giving him a confused face. "We should tell them. Your grandparents, that is, one day what really happened. They deserve to know the truth. Everyone does." Killian wasn't sure what he expected. An arguement? A smile? No reaction at all? But Henry nodded, then waved goodnight.

Killian sat on his couch-bed, took off his shoes and coat, and laid down. He snuggled into the couch, holding the fuzzy blanket tightly. He wouldn't mess this up. He would be a good fatherly figure this time, he had to be. Killian refused to mess this up for Henry. He had already lost a good portion of his family and the Darkness had taken hold. Killian stared up at the ceiling, thinking about the Darkness.

Was it mere coincidence that the second he left Storybrooke with his light and Henry visited where everything had gone down, the Darkness took hold of him? Killian had noticed what little of the Darkness that was left him had faded to almost nothing over the years. And every time he gained light, Henry gained Darkness. Killian felt sick. He had caused Henry to get the Darkness, hadn't he?

He shivered as he remembered how alone and depressed he had felt. How he needed the light, it was an obsession. It had been with him for so many years, hundreds upon hundreds of years... How he had ached, craved the light. And then he had met Emma, and the Darkness lifted. She showed him light at the end of the Darkness. Every time she left him, the Darkness got worse.

Killian wasn't sure if he regretted doing what he did. She did love him, and he really did love her. But he did regret taking her from her family, from her parents, from her son. He felt awful about that, every day and every night. And when he forced her to love him... That was one of his biggest regrets. But, Emma had once told him that what he had did had only helped her realize how much she actually did love him. And one day, Killian realized something: Emma's heart had healed. The spell was no more. He knew, he just knew it. Because one day, she acted different. Like her old self, before he had taken her.

Although he didn't know how it had healed, he knew it did. And that had made Killian so happy, so bloody happy. So when he lost her, it hurt even more. More than anything he had ever known, and that was saying something.

And that's why he would protect and help Henry. Because she loved Henry as much as she had loved him. Henry deserved all of his mother's love. Her thoughts about him, how much she grieved him. And he would give it to Henry, because he wanted it. Because he deserved it.

Killian was worried about Henry. Killian had found his light when the Darkness had gotten especially bad. Henry... He figured Henry didn't know who his light was. He had figured out that whoever your light was was your true love. So, that was part of his mission now. To get Henry his true love. Which meant playing Cupid. Killian grimaced slightly at the reference. Romance was never a field he had excelled at when it came to feelings. But he would try.

* * *

_Everything was unnaturally white. Henry blinked furiously, attempting to clear his __vision. All he could see was whiteness and mist, so much mist... He coughed, doubling over. It was incredibly hard to breath, like he was on top of a mountain. As Henry got used to the air, he straightened up, straining his eyes to seem something in the whiteness._

_"Henry," a soft voice called, echoing in his ears. That's when the Darkness came._

_It crowded around him like tendrils, suffocating him. "Henry, wake up!" the voice called. It sounded oddly familiar... Where had he heard it before? Before he could register the voice to a name or a face, the Darkness drowned him. The silence rang loudly in his ears. He felt like he was being stuffed with pins. Henry could practically feel the blood dripping down his body. God, everything hurt, he couldn't breath._

_Painful strike after painful strike hit him, causing his body to shudder. His breath fell short, and Henry started to hyperventilate. He had never done well in closed paces, add that to the pain._

_And then everything disappeared, and Henry felt like he was falling through the air. He let out a scream as he fell down, down, down... _

* * *

Henry woke up screaming bloody murder. All he could hear was his own screams and the shattering of glass. Henry finally stopped, wincing. He climbed out of bed, cracked his neck, and stood up. He turned on the light. The glass he had filled with water before bed was shattered. Henry was just glad he had drank all the water before he fell asleep. Less of a mess to clean up.

He focused his gaze on the mess, jerked his hands and the glass repaired itself. The sweat that had been forming on his forehead disappeared. It was getting easier to use magic on command. After 2 years old not using it, 1 year of accidental magic, and then another year of training had resulted in that. Henry sat down on his bed, bouncing up and down.

He remembered discovering he had magic like a scar. Painful. Incredibly painful. Everything around his had just burst into flames and then... Henry shook his head, trying to get out of his memories. Of his head. He despised going back to that time of his life, for that had been when things started getting very, very bad. That's when the Darkness had really started up, whispering things in his head.

Henry felt the Darkness pressing in on his head, and he barely kept it out. 'No,' he thought fiercely. 'Killian will help me get rid of you. You will be no more.' The Darkness cackled, sending chills down his back. But he refused to stand down.

'Killian is hiding something from you. Many somethings, dear, stupid boy. How do you know he can even be trusted? He just appeared at your door yesterday. What proves he didn't kill Emma himself? Huh?' The Darkness whispered, planting thoughts of doubts in his head. Henry bit his lip.

"SHUT UP!" Henry roared, and his window shattered this time. He repaired it with a quick flick of his hand. He was hyperventilating, not a good sign. Whenever he hyperventilated or his emotions were on the fritz, his magic got out of control. Severely. The last time it had gotten out of control, well, he had nearly killed himself. By accident, that time. Unlike the other few times...

Henry felt the Darkness retreat a bit, and his breath got steadier. Air flooded his lungs, and he smiled. Just a little bit. The thoughts of the nightmare also flooded his mind.

Who was the voice? It was so familiar, yet, Henry couldn't reach it. A voice from long ago. His thoughts scrambled themselves, trying to piece things together. Where had he been? Who had talked to him? Who was the Darkness? After a few minutes of pondering, Henry sighed, turned off the light, and tried to sleep. Before the lull of sleep encased him, Henry promised himself something.

The Darkness wouldn't win. It couldn't win. Henry just hoped he was strong enough to withstand it long enough.

* * *

**Woot woot, now this chapter is the longest chapter! I think they're just gonna get longer. :) So, questions for you all to ponder!**

**1) Who is the Darkness?**

**2) What is their intentions?**

**3) How did Henry discover his magic?**

**4) Why did the Darkness leave Killian for Henry? God, that makes it sound like a love triangle. Hehe. (That may or may not be foreshadowing)**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I think Regina and Mr. Gold are gonna make an appearance next chapter. *Rubs hands ****together maliciously* What did you guys think of Mary Margaret and David? There's going to be more on their relationship with Henry, specifically why they let him live alone (for the most part). I hope you guys are having a good start to summer. Love you all! **


	9. The Avenger, Part One

**Hullo, hullo, HULLO! :) I'm in quite the chipper mode. Which is really odd considering what goes on in the chapter... No spoilers in this author's note! Go on, read!**

* * *

"So, what are we doing today, Mr. Pirate-Man?" Henry wrote to him over bagels and orange juice. They were sitting at the kitchen table, listening to the TV in the background. At least, that's what Henry appeared to be doing. Killian raised an eyebrow at the nickname, although whether it was in curiosity, confusion, or anger was unclear to the young man.

"Mr. Pirate Man?" he repeated, chuckling. "Where on earth did you come up with that? Really? Why not, oh, I don't know, Mr. Sexy? Or Mr. Hot-Stuff? Or Mr. Dangerous? None of those suited your fancy?"

Henry stifled a grin, and wrote a quick response. "You would have to be those things for me to nickname you any of them. You realize that, right? And you're a pirate. You're a man. So that's where the nickname comes from. I take it you don't like it? I'm offended, dear sir." Killian glanced up at Henry, who was smirking. He had a sneaking suspicion that if Henry _had_ spoken, his tone would have been mocking. Maybe with an accent.

Killian cleared his throat. "Anyways, I do have an answer to what we're going to do today." Henry's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his palms together anxiously. "I'm going to finish my story. Or, a part of it, at least. How I killed Xavier and became Captain of what once was the place I called my home. Now, where was I?"

* * *

_Killian stood by the railing of the deck, tilting his chin up towards Johnson. He nodded at Oliver, who nonchalantly passed Killian 3 spare daggers. Two to hide in his boot and one to keep inside his coat. He already had two swords and a dagger in his scabbards, which wasn't the most comfortable of options, but worked. He needed to be prepared, just in case._

_"I almost got caught. He just missed my hand when he was turning over. I doubt he'll notice they're missing until he reaches for them in the battle, if he reaches for them at all. Are you sure you want to do this? It's your last chance to back out," Oliver reported, tone worrisome. Killian nodded._

_"I have to do this. If you had been there, Olly, you would do the same. Adrian was the only who really looked out for me, really cared." Oliver sent him a dark look, and Killian sighed. "Fine, my mother may have cared, but she definitely didn't care about me enough to save Adrian and I." Bitterness was spat out in every word. "If it wasn't for her, none of this would be happening now."_

_"But then you wouldn't have us," Johnson grinned, swaggering over. "And we are pretty awesome, aren't we? We make quite the team." His pale hair caught the light, almost glowing. Killian smiled, but it soon vanished. The twins turned around to see what Killian was staring at._

_"Xavier has arrived. Wish me luck," Killian murmured before striding over towards his brother._

* * *

"Wait, Oliver is the one who lost the love of his life, right? Not Johnson?" Henry scribbled to him. Killian nodded.

"Yeah, it's something that's always haunted him. Johnson was always acting care-free, even as he faced death," he responded. His face betrayed a range of emotions, from guilt to anger. "He was always so happy."

Henry wanted to asked why Killian used past tense, but figured that it wouldn't be good for Killian. He was lost in his past, drowning in it. Henry could only wonder exactly when Johnson became a past tense.

"So, what happened? You won, right? But how?" he wrote instead, substituting what he wanted to ask with another question. Killian's blue eyes darkened like an ocean before a wicked storm. They were almost a navy blue. Henry had figured out that the darker his eyes were, the more upset Killian was about whatever he was doing.

"I'll get to that in a moment," Killian brushed off, eyes loosing focus slowly. He was going back in time, over 300 years ago.

* * *

_Xavier spotted Killian, arms open and smiling. He had obviously been drinking, just a little bit. Enough to get him swaying. That would help him, a lot. One of Xavier's strengths was his balance. "There you are, I've been looking for you! We need to talk about that trade __agreement..."_

_Killian's hand danced around the handle of one of his swords, never quite touching it. He was getting ready for the fight. "Okay. But not now," he said, walking closer. Oliver and Johnson watching in excitement and worry. They both worried, of course, but there was a certain excitement in it all, causing their pulses to escalate._

_Xavier's brow crinkled in confusion. "Why not?" he whined. He clearly didn't see the anger in his brother's eyes. Killian's mouth set itself into a line showing his concentration, and he charged, sword tip pointed right at Xavier's stomach. Xavier quickly parried the charge with a quick flick of his blade, which he had drawn just moments before. Killian was forced to stumble back. He spit at Xavier's boot. "What the hell, Killian?" Xavier glared, drawing closer to the young man. Killian's answer would decide for Xavier just what to do when he was close enough to strike._

_"Avenging my brother and everyone else who has ever been hurt by you." And with that, Xavier's face twisted into a sick grin. He laughed, then the usual scowl overcame his face._

_"That weakling, Adrian? You still haven't gotten over that? Father always thought you were a weakling, you know. He thought that you would never become strong, like me. But I saw potential. Took you under my wing, or so I thought. All these years, and you've just been planning my death, 'aven't you? Cleveh, cleveh, aren't you?" Killian said nothing, just blocked Xavier's strike._

_A circle had formed around the pair. Xavier's closest things to friends were on the outside, along with Oliver and Johnson. No one dared to interfere, for if Xavier won, he would have their head. If anyone had any part in taking down his enemy, and took the final blow, Xavier would be furious. It wasn't that he was an honest man, he just wanted to be the only one to destroy his foe. Everyone knew of his nasty temper and no hesitance to kill._

_Xavier lunged for his stomach, which Killian reacted to by side-stepping and jabbing at Xavier's side. But Xavier had expected that and swung his blade right at his side. The blade nicked Killian's jacket and shirt, cutting a nice hole in the __fabrics. He managed to get away before it hit his side, luckily. But his luck didn't hold.  
_

_Killian had ducked and twisted to avoid the blade. He went left of the blade and kicked Xavier, trying to get him unbalanced. Unfortunately, Xavier was not only used to fighting on a rocking boat in the middle of a storm, but was already gone from the space that Killian had kicked at. Xavier had ducked the kick, and used his arm to pull behind Killian's knee, forcing him to fall._

_He smirked, and raised his boot to hit Killian's ribs, trying to break them. Xavier was never in it for the quick kill, especially when there was plenty of time. No, he would cause as much pain as he could. The first hit didn't break his ribs, just bruised them. Killian gasped, and he grinned at his younger brother's pain. That sick, twisted grin spurred Killian into action. As the boot came down again, Killian reached for the foot and attempted to send his brother crashing down beside him. It didn't work, not exactly. It got Xavier unstable enough that he could escape from the floor. He was starting to fall backwards, but was regaining his balance slowly._

_While Xavier was distracted with getting his balance back, Killian took his sword and aimed for his brother's face. If his brother was showing no mercy, then neither would he. The blade cut the skin above his left eye and below, ending just a little bit from the edge of his mouth. It just missed his eye, but the pain was enough. Xavier took a second to grit his teeth and wipe the blood from his eye. The blade hadn't gone inside his mouth. Killian almost wished it had. But he was partially blinded, and that's what he needed._

_Xavier then landed a blow across his chest, easily tearing through the cloth that protected it. It scraped the skin off his chest, barely missing his heart and bones. In all, it was incredibly painful. Killian let out a howl of pain, but attempted to get himself under control. He crashed once more to the ground, breathing heavily. All he could feel was the pain. There was no way he could fight. Killian needed to get himself under control, but there wasn't enough time. He would die. Xavier's eyes flashed with delight, then narrowed. Xavier had found a way to kill him, hadn't he? A very painful way, most likely. Killian tried to get out of the way. Even scooting hurt, and he bit his lip, trying to keep a growl in. But this time, Killian wasn't the target. The man above him was._

_Killian craned his neck to see. Johnson stood above him, sword drawn. His eyes were fierce. He wasn't going to let Xavier hurt his friend. Oliver was behind him, in his hand a dagger, but Xavier paid him no attention. Probably because Johnson was the bigger threat at the moment. He had two dagger drawn, grip tight._

_"Out of the way so I can finish this weasel of my brother. Unless you would like to die with him," Xavier snarled, but Johnson didn't back down. Johnson's eyes were hard. He was willing to kill to save his friend. He was willing to die to save his friend._

_"No." Johnson raised one of his daggers and aimed for Xavier's stomach. It instead hit his wrist, cutting the barest amount of skin. It was a bad hit that caused what happened next. All Xavier did was smirk. A look of fright crossed over Johnson's face, and Xavier noticed. He chuckled darkly._

_"Too late to go back now, traitor," Xavier shrugged. He took his sword and thrusted it through Johnson's chest. It had been a quick death, unusually merciful. Probably because he wanted to finish of Killian. He fell to his knees, and with his last moments of life, gave Killian a smile and mouthed, 'Avenge me'. With a final smile on his face and peaceful look in his eyes, Johnson died. Screams of rage erupted from Killian's and Oliver's mouths. Oliver bent down held his brother tightly, tears cascading down his pale cheeks. He had lost his only family. Tears prickled Killian's own eyes, but he could not mourn now. He had one more death to avenge now. He stood up, shaking with anger. And that's when the adrenaline set it._

_Suddenly, the cries of the pain coming from his chest were silenced. For a moment, all he could see was Xavier, but then his vision widened to what was around him once more. Anger completely overcame him, and Killian felt his face twist into a battle mask. A roar ripped itself from his mouth. Xavier's eyes looked at, for just a moment, in fear. But then the guard returned. If it hadn't, what happened next might not have happened._

_Killian's vision went red. It was like everything was clothed in blood. For what seemed like eternity, everything was black. He heard nothing except the roar of blood in his ears. And when the blackness gave way, he still saw red. But this time around, it wasn't just an illusion. Xavier's stomach was punctured, along with the side of his throat. Countless cuts covered his brother's frame, and with a start Killian realized he was the one who had done that. Vomit rose in his throat, and he barely kept it down._

_Xavier wasn't crying, like the average person might do. Instead, he let out a laugh. Anyone could see it hurt him immensely, but he still laughed. "Congratulations, Killian," Xavier sneered, disgust lingering in his eyes. "You're no better than me now." Cold fear coiled in Killian's stomach as he realized the truth of Xavier's words. He was no better then his brother. He had just killed Xavier, his brother, the last family he knew of, to avenge his family. To become Captain. Killian wasn't sure what to feel. With a smirk plastered across his bloodied face, Xavier managed one more laugh. "Don't think this is over, you little bastard." And with that, Xavier Noah Jones died._

_Killian dropped the sword in his hand, and started at the blood staining the wood of the Blue Pelican. He was afraid to look up, yet he did anyways. Oliver's face was paler than usual, and the tears were still drenching his handsome face. Johnson's body was draped across him like a towel, holding him up. His eyes had been closed. That was the first thing he saw. Oliver's eyes __showed pain, a fierce anger, and loyalty. He was still Killian's best mate. Oliver would have laid down his life for him, just like Johnson had. The death of their cheerful friend, wonderful brother, blood-bound fighter and drawn them closer together. Killian felt guilt, but Johnson had known that he would die. He had given Killian precious time to recover. And Killian would never forget it._

_He then rose his gaze to the crew around him - His crew, now. They all looked at him with similar expressions, each one showing surprise, anger, soemthing close to happiness, and something Killian couldn't identify. He stood up straighter, keeping his face cool. His face didn't portray any of the pain he felt. If he showed weakness, any of them would easily finish him off and kill him, taking the role of Captain. He had been working for his revenge for too long. It was rightfully his._

_"Hello," he began, shifting uneasily. The loss of blood was starting to affect him. "I, Killian Eric Jones, son of Jack and Elena Jones, brother to Adrian Daniel and Xavier Noah Jones, am now Captain of the Blue Pelican. I will do my best to lead with strength, understanding, and capability. I know I will need to learn a lot, but I've known most of you since I was born. I trust you all to protect this ship, yourselves, and your fellow crew mates. I hope to lead you to riches beyond your heart's desires. We will become the most feared pirates in any land! Now, who will stand by me or walk the plank?"_

* * *

Henry's mouth felt dry and cracked, like he hadn't had anything to drink in several days. He supposed it was a good thing he couldn't speak. Even he could have, after hearing Killian's story no words would have left his mouth. Just what exactly do you say to _that_? Good job? You're under arrest? Congratulations? I'm sorry? Would any of those work? Henry supposed that the younger Killian wasn't sure what to feel. But Henry knew that he was incredibly strong. And he liked that about Killian. He was strong.

Killian seemed to notice his discomfort, and dropped off, just for the moment. "I lost one of the only people I ever considered a friend that day. Oliver and I grew closer because of his death, but we missed him. Two souls, one dark and hell-bent on revenge, the other worrisome and clever. Without Johnson, his carelessness and humor, we were lost. For a while. Without each other, we probably would've died."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Henry replied lamely, still not sure what to say. Truly, what do you say to that? Saying, 'I'm sorry for your lost' didn't seem appropriate. Plus, Henry knew just how frustrated and angry he had been whenever people said that to him. He knew they said it to try and comfort him, but they didn't understand the pain. This was different, though. His friend had sacrificed himself so Killian may live.

"Thanks. But Johnson is happy. At least, that's what I like to think. He's somewhere where there's lot of space to goof off in," he said quietly. "He always liked to pull pranks. I remember one time he did this prank that ended with a baby seal hanging from our flag pole with coconuts tied to his tail. Don't ask." A smile graced his features for a moment, but then his face hardened.

"I'm almost finished, unless you want to do something else. Get lunch, play a board game..." Killian suggested, trailing off. Henry had a feeling that he wasn't exactly proud of what happened next. But that meant he was being honest with him, and all Henry wanted to hear the most. The truth.

"How about you finish, and then we go get lunch at Granny's?" Killian nodded, but it was obvious he was nervous about being in such a public place. Especially after the encounter with his grandparents yesterday. He was nervous on how everyone would react to his presence in the town and news of Emma's passing.

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

_At first, no one said anything. They did nothing, just stood there with the same faces they had before his speech. Maybe a bit more surprised, but little changed on their faces. Killian fidgeted. He knew that it would be hard for them to accept a 15, almost 16, year old as Captain. But most of them knew he would be better at being Captain than Xavier or Jack had. Some others thought he would be just like them, considering they were his family. To say the least, he would try and change their minds._

_Then, some one charged at him. It was a burly man with light ginger hair and dead eyes. It was someone Killian didn't recognize, coming right at him with a double axe drawn. He knew he was in no position to fight, let alone win. So, he dropped his bloodied sword and exchanged it for his other sword. He clutched part of the blade in his left hand, the handle in his right hand. Killian was going to use it as a shield to brace the impact. That was all he could do, at least for now._

_The man's face was bright red, meeting a shade of red much darker than his hair. His mouth open for he was yelling. Killian wanted to close his eyes, to go to sleep, but he kept them open. He had to stay alert. The man would easily strike him down if he fell now. He would easily kill him if he gave up. The axe hit the sword, and he swore that sparks flew as the metals collided. His opponent __grimaced and retracted his axe, preparing to swing again._

_Killian tried to move, but his chest hurt. So much. It was painful to breath, forget moving. He could barely lift his sword, let alone fight. As the axe made it's way towards him, Killian got pissed off. First, he was the __only male left in his family and had no clue where any other family members were. Second, he was injured and if he didn't get help soon, would probably bleed out and die. Thirdly, this man had the nerve to challenge him after watching him kill his brother, the tyrant who had ran the ship with an iron fist. And now this guy thought that he wasn't capable of being a captain. To say the least, he was having a bad day, although no longer having to deal with Xavier and avenging Adrian and Johnson had made him feel accomplished. He had finally avenged his family and everyone else that had been affected by his brother. So, what he did next was probably due to that._

_The sword fell from his grasp and he grabbed the handle of the axe, attempting to twist it around and nail the guy in the brains. Not that the man had any. He had just charged someone who had killed someone stronger than him with ease. Never smart. Still, Killian was exhausted. That's probably why the man thought he had a chance. Even though Killian was injured, incredibly weak, and about to pass out, he gave his all in turning the axe against the man. In the man's beady eyes showed his terror. With a start, Killian realized his face was twisted in a battle __grimace. He was screaming. _

_Once more, everything went black. He felt like nothing, he couldn't feel his body. It was like Killian had just disappeared, and what was left over was his thoughts. And then everything returned to normal. He could see and feel again. Killian was incredibly confused, but that wasn't the center of his attention when he came to. The dead man before him was._

_The man's axe had been driven straight through his head, splitting the top of his skull in half. His skull was splintered, sticking straight up and digging into his brain. Blood leaked out over the sides of his head, down his hair and onto the deck below. Killian felt sick, not just because of the sight before him but because he had done that, and this time he did vomit._

_Killian felt weak in the knees, and fell to the ground. "Anyone else gonna challenge me?" he whispered just before passing out._

* * *

Killian eyed Henry nervously. The boy was paler than usually, probably at his vivid description. He wanted to kick himself for going so in depth, but he had been lost in the memories and terror of that day. Sure, he had avenged his brother but had killed two people. How was he supposed to feel? Accomplished? Sorrowful? Happy? He recalled feeling numb. Really, really numb.

He cleared his throat, trying to cut the tension. Henry wrote him a response, which he showed him. "Can we go to Granny's now? Please?" His eyes were wide, as if he thought Killian wouldn't let him. He nodded, slightly confused.

"Sure, why not?" he said. His puzzlement was shown clearly, but Henry avoided it. Probably because he didn't want to, at least, not now. Henry just couldn't, his mind was trying to shield him from confrontation. He was trying to act normal, to become calmer before confronting the story of Killian's past. Of the man his mother had fallen in love with. At least, in the end, she had.

So they got on their shoes and coats and walked briskly out the door, pen and pad in Henry's hand. Killian found his voice unusable, as if someone had stolen it. He couldn't change the topic without acknowledging Henry's clear diversion of it. Killian figured that he was trying to figure out how someone murdered another. Especially in the brutal way he had. He was trying to fantom how someone could be that cruel to another, had the courage and could have the morals to do it.

Killian kept sneaking peeks at the younger man, as if he would disappear if he didn't keep his eyes on him. He was half afraid that Henry was going to explode or something, from the way he looked and had reacted. Denial. Clear, painfully clear, denial. He just didn't want to believe that his mother had fallen for a murderer. That he had befriended someone who had killed someone. Several someones, in fact. Killian had figured that Henry had realized he had killed people (his own grandparents had, but who hadn't in the Enchanted Forest?) but not in that brutal way.

He still couldn't remember what had happened in the times he had blacked out, going to the place with nothing. Killian supposed that his anger had overcome him and unleashed it on his foes. The fits did happen from time to time, but they hadn't happened since meeting Emma. But now that she was gone... Killian feared that would come back.

And if they came back, who knew what he would do unconsciously?

* * *

**Above 4,000 words! A big improvement for me! I apologize for the wait, but I was visiting a place that had no Internet connection. For 8 days. I had a good time, though. :)**

**As I read this over, I realized that this was pretty gory/dark/creepy. Haven't had one of those kind of chapters in a while. This is one of my first times writing battle scenes, so any tips would be appreciated. I hope that none of you were eating while you read this *wink, wink* You know who you are. ;)**

**I hoped you guys liked this chapter! I planned somethings for this chapter that just didn't make it in. I was really upset about it, but I like how this chapter turned out. I hope to include the ideas into the next chapter, and I think they will make it. My fingers are already tingling in excitement of writing it! Haha. Well, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

**P.S. If any of you noticed, the chapter is called '_The Avenger, Part One_'. Part two will not becoming until the end of the story, for reasons that I cannot say. :) Just thought I'd point that out.**


	10. Darkness Striking

**I am very excited for a few reasons. First off, I am finally getting on the move with where I want to be in this story! *roars of people cheering in the background* Second, the fights in this chapter are in real-time! Yay! Haha.**

* * *

The duo sat down at a table, attracting the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Not just because Killian was there, but also because Henry rarely left the house. Ruby usually dropped off his dinner along with some basic groceries to make breakfast and lunch. She did it in exchange for an alibi. Apparently she was dating someone and didn't want anyone to know. He didn't even know who, but Henry figured that it was her business. And plus, the food she brought was delicious. It was a nice deal, for the both of them. They said she stayed with him and stuff. Whatever, it kept Henry an introvert and gave Ruby freedom for about 2 to 3 hours a day.

Killian relished in the familiarity of the diner, relaxing in the booth the two had gotten, stretching out. After passing Killian a menu, Henry looked his menu and pointed out his favorite items on the list to Killan. Killian, as far as he knew, had never had anything like the food here. Just look at Belle, she didn't know what a cheeseburger was after being locked up for years.

"Cinnamon Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Pie, Cheeseburger, Fries, Chicken Tenders, Meatball Sub, and Ice Cream," Killian listed off as Henry pointed. He nodded, then pointed to the hot cocoa, cheeseburger, fries, and the pumpkin pie.

"Those are the best on the menu. I suggest getting them. If you're not in a hot drink mode, get a Coke. Have you ever had a Coke?" Henry asked. Killian noticed that he had drawn on the sides of the pad, strange markings and pictures. A few smaller chicken scratches that may have passed as Henry's attempt to write small also filled the margins, so tiny Killian would need more than the quick glance to read. He retracted the pad, scratching at his wrist.

"Er, no. I think I'll stick with my rum." Henry's mouth twisted into a smirk as he wrote his response.

"You and your rum. I don't think they have rum here, sorry. Beer, yes. Wine, yes. No rum." This time, it was Killian's turn to smirk. From inside a jacket pocket Killian pulled out a silver flask.

"I always have some on me. In case someone is injured, my drink has been poisoned, or simply that there's no rum," he explained, placing the flask on the table. "Just refilled it during our sailing lesson. Which reminds me, when do you want to go out to sea again?"

"How about tomorrow?" Henry knew that they were both purposely avoiding discussing the story Killian had just told. The problem was, Henry wasn't sure what to say, how to react. He didn't know what he felt, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to.

Confusion. He felt very confused. Henry had never killed something as small as a deer (he had run over bunnies and the like with his car by accident on more than one occasion), and killing another person had always been drilled into him as wrong. Injuring someone else was a whole 'nother matter. Simple. Easy. But then he started to have questions about everything.

What if the killer didn't mean to kill? Why would they still be seen as guilty? What if their motive was right and it had to be done? What then? How do you judge a person who did something wrong that needed to be done for all the right reasons?

Henry didn't know. Unfortunately, he knew he felt anger. Waves of anger, hot and frothy, trying to get out. And he was barely keeping them he. He had hoped that with a nice lunch, they would calm. But if anything, they just got bigger and angrier. How could Killian have done that?

A shot of proudness occasionally appeared like a beacon in a storm, but soon after it came appeared horrification. How could he do that? How was any human being capable of that? Capable of ending another person's life, destroying their existence? He just couldn't fathom how someone could tell themselves, force themselves, to do that. Killian hadn't been much younger than him, only 15, almost 16. How? How had he done it?

He understood why he did it, and maybe he would've done the same thing if he had been in Killian's position. But the thing was, he _hadn't_ been in his position. So the only way Henry could judge him would be as if Killian had cold-bloodedly killed someone. Two people, in fact. One to avenge, the other in self defense. And yet...

Killian didn't remember actually killing them. He knew he had, of course, but every time, he had 'blacked out'. Or so he claimed. But Henry didn't think he was lying. But maybe his emotions had taken control of him, sending him into an oblivious state where his emotions took control. Maybe Killian wasn't entirely to blame. Then again, Killian had meant to kill Xavier. The man who had charged at him had only been in self defense, so Henry couldn't blame him for that. At least, not fully.

The way Killian had killed them had been unbearably cruel, inhumanly painful. Overkill, complete and utter overkill. Quite literally, but it really was. Heartless, the killings had been. As if they had been done by a monster with no heart, no morals. But still, Henry couldn't judge him. At least, not properly. If he said one thing, he would be lying. If he said another, he would be lying. And if he said everything he was feeling, he would still be confused.

'Stop,' Henry told himself. 'You're going to enjoy this lunch and deal with everything later. Not here, you can't loose it here. And people are already suspicious of Killian, if it becomes a fight you can't have people booting him out of town. Then you'll loose your chance to learn about Emma, and you can't loose that. Now talk about something, anything, even the weather! Just keep away from those thoughts, and everything will be fine.'

"Sounds perfect," Killain answered, jarring Henry out of his thoughts. "I'm glad you liked it, Henry. I was really hoping you would."

"Hey, what do you guys want?" Ruby asked, sauntering over. She wore dark skinny jeans, a red halter top, lace up boots to her ankles, and a white scarf. Her black hair was streaked with red, per usual. Her eyes were focused on her note pad, so when she raised them she saw Killian for the first time. A growl emitted from the back of her throat, and her eyes narrowed. "You."

Killian sighed. "Hi, Red. How you doing?" he asked, slumping against the seat. She glared, and opened her mouth to say something when Henry passed her a note explaining the basis of everything. He had been writing it since she had walked up to their booth. He was considering making copies for everyone in town. Her scowl slowly softened.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she acknowledged, and Henry nodded. He supposed he would have to get used to people saying that to him. Henry shrugged, nonchalant. He wouldn't let anyone see him mourn. It seemed invasive, and Henry wanted to be around his family or alone when he mourned. People may call him heartless for it, but screw them.

"So, what can I get you?" Ruby asked once more, clearing the awkward silence.

"Might I have the cheeseburger, fries, and pumpkin pie? Henry said they were the best things on the menu," Killian answered with a smile on his face. Ruby's face flushed with pride when he said that they were the best things on the menu.

"They really are," she agreed. "And you Henry?" He gave her 'the Look', and she laughed. "Let me guess, same thing except with cinnamon hot chocolate?" Henry's face broke into a large grin and he nodded vigorously.

"Your meals should be here in about 15 minutes," Ruby said with a quick smile and a turn on her heel. Killian took a large swig from his flask and wiped his mouth on his sleeve when he was done. He closed his eyes and drummed his fingers on the table top, humming a fast tune. Henry wasn't sure if he felt angry that Killian was so calm after all that, but he supposed he was just trying to relax. Understandable.

Henry sketched randomly, his pencil sketching out strange shapes and runes. Whenever he let his mind wander, strange drawings would come out of his sketches. They weren't the run of the mill normal sketches, either. At least, he didn't think normal people drew runes. He had lived with Regina long enough to recognize them, but not read them. Pity at that, because who knew what they said? Best to keep them to himself.

Ruby slid their cheeseburgers over to them minutes later, far quicker than Henry anticipated. Then again, his sense of time when he's drawing was whacked up. It could have just been 5 minutes or 5 hours, Henry wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Killian took the tip of his hook and scratched the bun, a cautious look in his eyes. Henry smiled at the man's cautiousness. It was funny, watching a grown man inspect a cheeseburger.

Henry tapped him on the shoulder. Killian looked up. "What?" he asked. Henry tapped the burger and Killian he had his attention, Henry grabbed his burger with his hand and brought it to his mouth, demonstrating how to eat it. Killian's face flushed slightly in embarrassment, and he copied Henry's movement. A smile crossed Killian's face as he took a bite.

"God, why couldn't people have made cheeseburgers back in the Enchanted Forest?"

* * *

"Delicious," he declared as they polished off their pie. Ruby smiled at Killian's comment once more. It was unheard of now, Granny's getting new customers. New comments of appreciation were always welcomed.

"Glad you enjoyed it. Henry, I'll drop by around lunch tomorrow, too. And your meals will be $39.87," Ruby said, and Killian handed her a gold coin. A doubloon worth several hundred dollars, or something like that today. Henry didn't exactly know. Her face became puzzled at the form of payment. "Er, what's this?"

"Payment for lunch for the next month, every day except on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays," Killian replied smoothly. Ruby raised an eyebrow. "That should cover it, right?"

"Think next 4-6 months, bucko. Maybe more. But it all depends. And thanks. Have a good day," she said, sending them off. And that's when Henry realized something.

They were going back to the apartment. They would confront what had happened, what Killian had done. And Henry wasn't sure if he could do that, have that argument. A shake started in his left hand, nervousness pouring into it. Panic, sheer panic was released into his bloodstream. And then things got worse. A hell of a lot worse. And how could that happen, one might ask? The Darkness struck.

* * *

Killian was walking besides Henry, hand in pocket, hook at his side when he noticed Henry slowly down. How his breathing quickened. How his eyes grew darker. How his fingers curled under themselves, forming a fist. How his knees gave out. And how his eyes rolled to the back of his head and the backs of his eyes were, in a word, black.

Literally, black. A cold stone fell in his stomach, and with a jolt Killian realized just exactly was happening. Darkness Fit. Killian had had his fair share in his 'darker' days. The Darkness completely overwhelmed you, sending your darkest thoughts to take over. It was the worst form of torture Killian knew. All of your failures, all of your weakest moments, your fears, everything that's ever haunted you, and basically the things that will destroy you completely flood your mind. You cannot grasp a single good thought, nothing to make the dark go away. It's just you and your fears. And your fears always win in this situation. Your best hope? Pray it's quick.

Killian looked around in a crazed panic, seeing if anyone was coming to Henry's side. If anyone did, it would complicate things greatly. They would take him to the hospital and then he wouldn't be able to do anything. No one was, but Killian still hurried. He picked Henry up and carried him up the stairs to the apartment. Killian kicked down the door, determined to be as quick as possible. He had ocne been in a Darkness Fit for a full 24 hours before it let go. No one had known how to stop what had happened to him back then. At least he did, so Henry would be fine. Hopefully.

He laid Henry on the couch did his best to make him comfortable and safe. Once that was insured, Killian bolted for the bathroom. He grabbed rags and put the sink on 'cold', shoving the rags in. They would get cold in a minute or so. He then ran for a knife, a dagger, something small and sharp. His hook wouldn't work, far too sharp and it wasn't delicate, which was required in the procedure. He then grabbed a few bowls, the rags, and some bandages and raced to the teen's side.

"No," Killian said bitterly as he got to work. "You will not hurt him any longer, old friend."

* * *

_Henry was standing in a dark world. Black was all he could see, he couldn't tell if there was anything right in front of his nose or a wall over 300 miles away. And that's when the screaming starts._

_It was a scream Henry had heard before. The time he had stabbed one of the bullies in the shoulder, only in self defense, and God, how he had he howled. The guilt plagued Henry. He hurt someone deliberately. And the guilt was weighing him down. It was a more recent occurrence, so the guilt was still fresh. After the scream stopped, a voice started taunting him, teasing him. Confirming his very own thoughts._

_'You will never be good enough.' 'Everyone hates you.' 'DIE.' 'Idiotic, mute boy.' Everything he had called himself, everything he had been called, everything the Darkness plagued him with came slamming back to him with double the pain as before. Salt was rubbed in reopened wounds, and everything stung. Henry wasn't sure, but he thought that his cuts had reopened themselves. Not that he could, of course. And he wasn't quite brave enough to feel for blood._

_He saw dead bodies, but that was all he saw. Arms were missing, heads rolling about and spreading blood in their wake. And then someone, neigh, something cackled, 'You did this, you know. Look at your right hand.' What he saw? A wicked knife at least a foot long, the blade itself red. Silver and red, moonlight coated in blood. 'YOU KILLED THEM ALL!'_

_"No, no, it wasn't me, it wasn't my fault," Henry cried, gesturing with his knife wildly. He wasn't used to having it in his hand, especially a knife that long. It sliced messily across his stomach. "No, no, no..."_

_'Look over there,' the voice cried, malicious. And every body disappeared. Except for 4. The one closest to him had several stab marks covering her body. Mostly in her stomach and throat, they were jagged, as if made in a rush. It was Regina. Her face was splattered with blood, and eyes were still open. Henry backed away, horrified, falling over a body._

_Henry picked himself up. He didn't recognize this body. It was a girl his age. Her face would've been beautiful had it not been marred with cuts. Her nose was obviously broken, hanging on the side of her left cheek. Her hair was a shade of dark of blonde. Her skin was pale. One of her eyes had been taken out or stabbed, but either way she only had one eye. It was a dark brown. And right in the middle of her chest was a large gapping hole. Where her heart should've been was blackness. She enchanted Henry. Who was she?_

_Her corpse disappeared before he could get a closer inspection and just a few feet away appeared a new corpse. Henry didn't dare to look, but he was forced to. It was Killian. It looked like parts of him hand been burned. His legs were just to stumps of blackened skin. There was a long slit starting at his chin and ending at his stomach, meaning he had been cut open. Killian's eyes were closed. His large, swollen, purple tongue hung out of his mouth._

_And it still wasn't over yet. The last corpse. Henry screwed his eyelids shut, but it was just in vain. They were forced upon and Henry could look nowhere but the last corpse._

_Long blonde hair was spread around the corpse, stained with blood. Her eyes were cut out, both of them. Knife wounds covered her entire body, along with whip marks and burns. Strangulation marks covered her throat. It was his mother. Emma. He hadn't seen her in person in 7 years. He had never seen her like this. And it scared him to **death**._

_'Look what you did.' And then the floor gave out and he fell, fell, fell..._

* * *

Killian's brow was scrunched in concentration. He had done everything he could, everything that had needed to be done. He had sliced the palm of Henry's hand, collecting the blood. The blood was mixed with his own blood. The cold rags had been placed over the bowl containing all of the blood. He held his bloodied palm over the rags, letting the blood drip onto them. He thought good thoughts, sent good wishes to Henry. Yet he still didn't break the hold the Darkness held over him. He slammed his fist down on the table, frustrated. Why wasn't it working? He had to get to him before the boy met his worst nightmare... No, it wouldn't happen. He wouldn't let it happen.

Killian noticed the blood flow from his hand slow. He slowly took his hook and created a new cut right beside the old one. He winced, but it did the job. Blood leaked from his palm once more. He then resumed position, bowl on the floor, hands over it, and eyes closed. He needed this boy to live, to not go through what he went through.

'You know, it's your fault,' the Darkness sneered. Killian's eyes flew open and his heart beat so fast he thought it was going to fly out of his chest. He hadn't heard that voice in 7 years... Just because he had dark relapses, didn't mean it had spoken to him. 'What this boy is going through right now? All your fault. If you hadn't found that stupid Light and got me out, I wouldn't have found him. Best part, you took his mother away from him and gave him me. How much crueler can you get?' It laughed.

Killian did his best to ignore the Darkness, but it knew just what to say to destroy him. It had lived in him for, what, 300 years? Give or take a few? It lived in his mind. It knew him better than anyone else in all the worlds. It knew what scared him, the guilt he carried, the uncertainness of every action he made. How he never knew what was right, what was wrong, and what was just his stupidness. When he crossed the line between avenging and, simply, sin.

'Tell him, or I will.' And then the Darkness left, and Henry shot right up, screaming. His eyes were wide, Killian had never seen eyes that wide. That scared. Henry rolled off the couch, clutching his head. Killian heard murmurs from Henry as they grew louder, louder, louder.

"I didn't kill them, I didn't kill anyone!" Henry sobbed, shaking. "I swear!" Killian's heart broke at seeing the lad in such a state. And then he realized something. Henry had spoken. He was still speaking. He was no longer mute, he could speak. A parting gift? Or maybe a bargaining chip. Henry would speak as long as Killian did what he promised.

'A gift, I suppose. The pain he just went through gave me _so_ much joy, you know. I figured it was the least I could do,' the Darkness hissed. The hairs on the back of Killian's neck stood straight up. Why did it sound so damn familiar? The Darkness had a male voice, but he could never place it... Who was it? How did he know them? Later, he would deal with it later. Now he had to help Henry.

"Henry, Henry, you're alright. Everything is alright. I'm alright, you're alright, we're fine," Killian cooed awkwardly. He had to get the boy in his right mind before he sprung anything on him. At very, very least, an hour. And he figured that's what the Darkness wanted. He wanted Henry to know as soon as possible. Everything.

Eventually, Henry calmed down. "Killian?" His voice was slightly rusty, but deep. It completed Henry perfectly. His hazel eyes were wide and terrified. Much like his own after his first fit, Killian supposed.

"Henry, it's alright. Are you okay?" Killian was trying to avoid the fact that Henry was talking until the lad realized it himself. Might shock him back into not talking and no one wanted that.

"F-F-Fine. What the hell was that?" Right to the point and blunt. Great, just great. Killian rubbed his eyes, sighing. He heard Henry tapping his foot impatiently on the carpet below them, waiting for an answer.

"I call it a Darkness Fit. The Darkness shows you everything you fear, everything you hold yourself responsible for, basically everything that can be used against you to destroy you. Rip you to shreds on the inside. He uses it - at least, I believe it's a he - to weaken you. You should have seen things you fear. I heard you talk about 'not killing them, I didn't kill anyone' earlier. I take it killing is something you're terrified of to an extent? Scared you'll do, isn't it?"

"How did you know that all about me? About the Darkness? It's a real thing? I'm not crazy? I'm not depressed?" The words shot out of Henry's mouth like tiny bullets.

"Yes, it's a real thing, I don't think so but I don't know much about psychology, and again, don't think so. It was all part of the Darkness." Henry's face lit up like a Christmas tree. He jumped up onto the couch, bouncing like a small child after a little bit too much sugar. He seemed so happy, so elated. For the first time he had met him, Henry seemed like the boy he had met so many years ago.

"YES! It's gone, oh God, it's Christmas it's gone!" he cried, jumping on to the floor. Henry thought the Darkness was gone. He couldn't have been more wrong, Killian knew. And as much as he hated to be the one to ruin Henry's good mood, he had to. Otherwise, that would just give the Darkness more power.

"Henry, it's not gone." And then Henry stopped, face frozen.

"But I'm not depressed anymore, I feel fine! Great, actually." He was so confused. So lost. He didn't want him to be right. Disappointed. And finally, terrified. He was scared that it would come back, clothing him once more in Darkness.

"It hasn't left. I know the Darkness, Henry. It's not going to leave you alone until you find your Light. Until you find your true love. And even then, it won't fully leave for a few weeks. Trust me, please. I know what I'm talking about," Killian said, completely honest.

"How do you know anything about the Darkness?" Henry's voice was small.

"Because he used to be in my mind. For about 300 years, actually. He left the second my true love fell for me. I cheated, but in the end she did love me," he confessed, voice bitter and slightly wistful.

"What do you mean?" Henry asked. He was like glass. Fragile. Killian had to be careful as to how he phrased this. How he would tell him everything that had happened.

"When I began my revenge, the Darkness entered my mind. I don't know why, but it did. It choose me to torture, me to claim. And I dealt with it for hundreds of years. And then I found your mother. Everything lightened around her. And at that point, I was raving mad. And you know the rest. I kidnaped her and made her love me to get rid of the Darkness. I thought... I thought it would die or something. I never thought it would claim someone else."

"You mean... The Darkness, inside my head right now, was once in your head?" Killian nodded. "You are absolutely _shitting_ me right now. It can't have been the same thing, right? It just... It doesn't make sense," Henry rambled. And then his eyes widened in realization. "I'm talking! I'm speaking! Oh god, this is wonderful!" Henry looked so elated for that moment before regaining a more serious composure. "How did it happen?"

"I agreed to tell you everything in exchange for your ability to speak. I think. Well worth it, in all honesty. But the Darkness... No one knows his motive. I don't know what it wants, but it's going to try to destroy you. We need to find you your true love, also known as your light. For years, I had thought that I had no chance to get rid of the Darkness because Milah was dead. I never realized she wasn't my true love." For a moment, the two were silent and wary. "Anyways, in your, er, fit, did anything happen to someone you didn't know? Someone that was singled out?"

"Killian, I can't... I can't relive that right now. Not... Not now. Tomorrow, or something. Please?" Henry's eyes were so big, so pleading, that Killian had to nod. Henry slumped in relief. "Thank God."

"Henry, it's just going to get worse now. I'm warning you now. If you ever need anything, have a nightmare, _anything_ happens, you get me right away. Okay? I know how to deal with a good number of things the Darkness will throw at you," Killian said, completely and utterly serious. "If anything happens to you, your mother will strike me down."

"Okay, I promise." Henry held out his hand, and Killian shook it.

"Now, to explain everything."

"Haven't you already done that?"

"Oh, God no! I've barely scraped the top, Henry. It's going to be a long story, let me tell you."

* * *

**I am so sorry for the late update! I just had no inspiration. It was lost. Don't even get me started on my other story, I have such a block there it's not even funny. Well, I'm working through it. If you wanted to know. **

**The only reason you got the chapter this early (honestly, I was expecting ****another 2 weeks at least) was because I found something that is a serious obsession. And fanfics MAY up soon about it, if you like it. The show Sherlock sparked my creativity into high gear, let me tell you! I'm writing a lot now. Very happy. If you don't watch Sherlock, get some snacks, a drink, and a comfy spot. Watch it, people. And if you do watch it, well, did you see my sneaky quote in there? Did you? ;)**

**I'm thinking the next chapter will be mostly memories but who knows. This chapter got sort of where I wanted to be, but not exactly. Did not expect his voice to come back, that surprised me too! How would you guys feel about that? If I do that, the chapter will be FAST, I think I can guarantee that. **

**Some food for thought:**

**-The Darkness is a He. Who is the Darkness, exactly? **

**-How did the Darkness choose who to, well, invade? Is there a method or does he do as he pleases?**

**-Who is Henry's Light?**

**-What else does Killian know about the Darkness? Hint: He knows more about him than he realizes.**

**Any theories about, well, anything, tell me! I enjoy them and they often cause me to smirk and laugh evilly. Gotta love 'em. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! **


	11. Betrayed By Blood

**I'm not sure where this chapter will go. I'm really not, so you'll be surprised with me. For once. :) Oh, and I'm starting a _ of the Chapter. It can be a book, song, movie, something like that. If it's a video, it's probably on YouTube. So let's start! And the whole fiery bile thing? It does happen. Happened to me. Disgusting, I tell you.**

**Song of the Chapter: Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Les Miserables, performance by Michael Ball. Can be found on YouTube, and Michael Ball is the singer I listened to as I wrote this chapter. I suggest playing it over and over again as you read the chapter, especially at the end. :)**

* * *

Henry felt sick. Very, very sick. Hot and feverish. His lips were cracked, throat dry and raw. His skin felt like it was shrinking, shrinking, shrinking, pulling itself over his muscles and bones. It hurt, it hurt a lot. He was thirsty, sweating, freezing, aching, burning. That's it. He was burning, burning from the inside out. He wouldn't have noticed if he was actually on fire, that's how similar the two were.

"Killian," he tried to cough out, but it came out more as a whisper. A scratchy whisper that burned his throat and cracked his lips even more. He tried licking his lips but it did nothing for them. "Help," he tried saying next, but it came out as "Hlp." Slightly louder than before, but still incredibly quiet. So, Henry tried to sit up. He could barely lift his arms, let alone the rest of him. So, he was stuck like that until Killian came and checked on him when he didn't come out at 9:47, the latest time Henry could wake up at. It was rarely ever later than that, and if it was, it meant something was seriously wrong.

So, Henry laid there, the pain searing his mind. 'A little treat for myself,' the Darkness whispered. 'To give you back your voice yet not allow you to use it. Fitting, no?' And then time stopped, just for a moment. Everything stayed the same, but Henry's mind was whisked through several years of time, 7, to be exact. 7 years of aging, the maturity of an almost 19 year old. Henry felt the same, but... It was hard to describe, so hard. He was still 18, but different. Henry couldn't explain it, just knew it.

Just like he knew that he actually was depressed. The Darkness had helped out a lot in that area, had preyed on it, but he had had it for a little while. Loosing his mom, his dad, and then the Darkness? So he did have depression. Fine. That could be treated with ease. Medication or magic, either would work.

A shot of pain went through him and Henry choked. Bile, hot fiery bile rose in his throat and his stomach felt like fire. Everything hurt, everything burned. His head was throbbing, and he felt like he was going to get sick. But he couldn't. It was the worst feeling ever, sick wise.

Eventually, Henry's eyes closed to a restless, deep sleep.

* * *

Killian was worried. Worried when Henry didn't wake up, worried when he found the boy with bile on the floor, leaking from him mouth. He was worried when they rode in the ambulance, a loud vehicle with lots of dangerous things. He was worried when they took Henry away from him to have him undergo surgery. He as _terrified _when the doctors said they thought he was poisoned.

And then Charming came up to him. Snow was staying strong. She greeted Killian as warmly as she could and asked him if he knew anything. When he shook his head, he could tell she believed him. Charming, on the other hand, did not. He was furious, that much was obvious.

"What have you done to him?" David yelled as he approached Killian.

"I didn't do anything!" Killian replied. He was terrified for Henry, and now Charming thought he had hurt him. Technically, Killian had but not on purpose. This was cold-blooded assassination, killing with no reason except for bloodlust. And he didn't do that... Not anymore.

"And everyone is just supposed to believe that? You are one of the few people that could've done it, Killian. Can you blame me for guessing? For assuming? You moved in with him just yesterday, and now he's in the emergency room. Can you really blame me?" Charming yelled back, flames alive in his eyes.

And then Killian lost it.

"I care about Henry. I would never, ever hurt him. I'm trying to help him, coax him out of his shell. And we had made some progress yesterday, then went to sleep. When I found him in the morning, he was feverish and vomiting. We ate the same things at Granny's diner, except he had hot chocolate. Neither of us ate after that, as far as I know. I would never hurt him," Killian spat back, stepping up to David. He was a tiny bit shorter than him, but not by much. They were almost eye to eye, and that was enough.

"So what happened to him?" Charming gritted out, not stepping down.

"I. Don't. Know."

"And we're just supposed to accept that?"

"It's all I have! I'm accepting that, aren't it? I don't have much of a choice!"

"Yeah, right. Something must've happened."

"He could've just gotten sick without me doing anything! Why do you assume the worst of me, David? Do you really think that low of me?"

"Because- Because-"

"Spit it out."

"Because you've hurt us in the past, what's to stop you from doing it again?" Charming's eyes were a mix of pain and anger, weariness and danger. And Killian could understand him. He had just officially lost his daughter, and now his grandson was in the emergency room. And it wasn't like Killian was the best person in the world.

But he wasn't the worst. And he needed to understand that Killian wasn't the bad guy. Not anymore, he was changing. No, he had already changed. And he just needed to show them that.

"David, you have to stop this. I could do it again, yes, but I won't. I am different. You may not be able to see it, but I am. Give me the benefit of the doubt and I won't disappoint. And I plan on staying. I like Henry, he reminds me of someone I knew long ago. So we need to come to terms with each other. It will upset Henry and it looks like Snow is about to shoot the both of us." Killian smiled wryly at the last part, extending his hand to Charming. He shook it, not smiling.

"Fine. But know that if you're lying, I will find you and I will _skin_ you."

"Agreed."

* * *

_It had been 5 years since Killian became Captain of the Blue Pelican. 5 years since Xavier had died. 5 years since Killian's murderous blackouts started. 5 years since Johnson had been murdered. 5 years since Oliver had become his best and closest friend. In that time, the Blue Pelican had been shipwrecked on a small island where Killian was mildly liked among the natives. Killian had a new ship built there made of enchanted wood and named it the Jolly Roger. They were now gaining control of all the seas and oceans. He had lost and gained crew. Oliver had left a few months afterwards the Jolly Roger had first sailed, saying that he needed to go._

_"Why? Why would you leave now, after all this time? It just doesn't make sense as to why would leave now, and not all those years ago," Killian had asked, feeling betrayed. They had known each other for almost, what, 7 years now and had been through Hell. It just didn't make sense to Killian, it really didn't. Wouldn't Oliver had left after Johnson had died, not 5 years later? It confused Killian greatly. Oliver played with his thumbs, feeling slightly guilty. It was obvious how he felt. Nervous and guilty._

_"Something is telling me to, something in my gut. Killian, I will always be your best friend. And should our paths cross again, know that I will stand with you. But now, I have to leave. It's something I have to do," Oliver said, trailing off towards the end. Killian pursed his lips, but knew better than to argue. He wouldn't let his own selfish reasons for wanting his friend close stop him from achieving whatever his goal was._

_"And know that you will always have a home aboard the Jolly Roger. You know how to find us," Killian replied, shaking Oliver's hand. Killian finally retracted his hand and fished into his jacket pocket for something. "Here, I want you to have it. To remember your time with us... With me."_

_Killian gave him a small, carved emerald stone on a strand of leather. "I found it a few years ago. I thought you would think of us when you saw it. Considering all my necklaces and... Well, you get it."_

_"Thanks, Killian. It means a lot." He slipped it on his neck and tucked it beneath his jacket, gently patting the spot where the pendant rested. It wasn't noticeable unless you knew it was there. Good in case Oliver was ever in an uncomfortable situation. Killian smiled at his friend's reaction to the gift. Hopefully it would give Oliver comfort wherever he went, much like Killian's own pendants that circled his neck. Out of habit, Killian's hand flew to the blue tear drop pendant and began rubbing the smooth surface to find comfort. "I'll always wear it, Killian. I promise. Goodbye, friend. Hope that our paths should meet again." Oliver embraced Killian before disembarking. Killian tried not to think about him so much, one of his first friends. It was a different experience for him. For someone in his life to leave on good terms and maybe come back. That it was possible for him to come back._

_A few months later, they were docked in a richer port. Próditur was a nice town, just over 70 years old. Clean and rich. A good place to make a pit stop. It was a place that had all sorts, from the seedy kinds to nobles. So, Killian figured they would fit right in. Plus, he didn't have much of a choice. They were running low on supplies, from food to clean water to clothes. So, Killian decided to get everything they needed there._

_He was in the marketplace bartering with a vendor while his men did as they pleased, as long as they stayed away from the innocents. He noted more than a few men going into shops and stealing whatever they pleased. His only rule about that on land was to leave enough for the owner to survive. He did have a moral code. Not much of one, but it was there. Whispers started reaching his ears about a rumor someone had heard. "Did you here? The Lord's daughter is back in town, and she's going to pass through town. First time in 3 years she's coming through!" Killian couldn't help but watch the crowd's slowly part as she came through with her entourage. He was smirking at the idiocy of people, noting his crew stealing things right under the vendor's nose. The smile faded as he saw the Lord's daughter. It couldn't be... Could it? And then a pit dropped into his stomach. He recognized her. He definitely recognized her. His stomach revolted, urging him to throw up. He tried to hold the bile down, biting his lower lip. It worked, but barely._

_"No," he murmured, fists clenched. "It's not... It can't be..." The vendor trying to speak to him was doing all he could to gain Killian's attention, but it didn't work. He eventually gave up, for Killian's entire body was rigid and facing the gaps in the ground. Killian's gaze was dead-set on the Lord's daughter, a glare evident among his darkly handsome features._

_The only thought running through his head, spreading panic like wildfire and completely shaking his sanity? How could she?_

* * *

"How is he, Whale?" David asked as Dr. Whale approached. The lines of worrying were clearly etched upon David's face, along with the fierceness to tear anyone to shreds who stood between him and his grandson. Considering that David pretty much hated him, Killian couldn't help but admire him. He was a strong man, one Killian would be proud to call a friend. Or father-in-law. Or whatever the relationship between them was. Or hopefully would be.

"He's alive. More stable, enough to be alive. But there's something wrong with him, and we can't identify what it is, though." Dr. Whale was sweating, dabbing at his forehead with a tissue he had grabbed on the way over to him. "We're doing everything we can to keep him alive. He'll stay alive, almost definitely will. But we're not sure how to get him out of his coma-like sleep..."

"Isn't it a coma, then? A coma is a 'deep sleep', that's the translation from Greek. So what do you mean by 'coma-like sleep'?" Snow asked, eyebrows arched in confusion and daring Whale to do something wrong. She was obviously upset, but somehow keeping a cool head. He gulped, shuffling the papers in his hands.

"It's not a coma. We're positive of that much. He's in a dream-like state, like he was cursed or something. And considering the only magic users that could do this in the entire town are his adoptive mother, his grandfather, and the fairies, I doubt they did it. So, we have no clue. We've called the Blue Fairy, along with Regina and Gold, and they're getting here as quickly as they can-"

"Wait," Killian said, a panicked tone in his voice. He swallowed before continuing. "Rumplestilskin is coming? _Here_? Right now?" Dr. Whale nodded, slightly confused. "No! He can't come here, if he sees me his focus will be on me and not Henry. I have to go, or he can't come, something has to happen-"

"Killian?" David said, putting a hand on Killian's shoulder.

"What?" he responded impatiently.

"He's already here." Killian blinked twice, much like an owl, before stringing several curses together for there was no time for him to leave or hide or whatever he had planned. All heads turned to the door. Killian rested his hand on his scabbard, thankful he had left his dagger in. At least there was one way he could defend himself.

Killian hadn't realized it, but he had given up on his revenge after he took Emma. There hadn't been any point to continue in his revenge for it was pointless and impossible. Would he ever forget what Gold had done to Milah, no. But he could stop trying to kill the man. Plus, he was Henry's grandfather who could save Henry's life. Maybe.

Just because Killian didn't harbor an ache for revenge anymore didn't mean Rumplestiltskin had taken the same route.

And indeed, he was there, walking towards them. His cane made an interesting sound against the floor, a receptive symphony. Step, step, cane. Step, step, cane. Thump, thump, thup. Thump, thump, thup.

He appeared to not have changed, except that his hair had gotten slightly grayer. Not much, just enough for Killian to notice. It wasn't hard to see the grimace in his face as he walked, his knee hurting him. Belle was right behind him, a worried look across her face. She had a small stacks of books in her arms, possibly for Henry should he wake up.

A scowl dressed Gold's features as he noticed Killian. He noted that he drew Belle a tiny bit closer to him, slightly worried. Killian felt bad that a start of fear crossed Belle's face at the sight of him. He really needed to apologize, didn't he? He was a 'good guy' now, wasn't he? The only problem was getting accepted by the good guys.

"What is he doing here, and why hasn't he been run through yet?" Gold asked coldly, eyes examining Killian like a snake would to its prey.

"I'm Henry's friend," Killian answered simply, not wishing to go into anything. Gold raised an eyebrow, then laughed. Hard. Every looked at him, confused. And slightly scared.

"You're kidding me, right? So you just waltz into town and decide to become Henry's friend? There's got to be some motivation behind it. Do you all honestly think he's changed?" He laughed coldly, and Belle gave him the evil eye after gently shoving him.

"Rumple," she warned, but Killian put up his hand.

"It's fine, as long as we don't start trying to maul each other. And I actually came here to tell Henry and his family what happened to Emma." Gold's eyes darkened ever so slightly. "She died. Was murdered, actually. We were help captive together. I figured to tell them, give them that peace of mind. And I ended up deciding to stay and help them through this time. And we're working on the last part." David chuckled a tiny bit, causing all eyes to shift to him.

"What? It's true, to say the least." Killian snorted in agreement.

"And we've made progress!" Killian clapped his hands together in excitement, a smile evident across his face. David rolled his eyes before turning back to Gold, who was watching the scene unfold with mild amusement.

"So, you're staying in town?" Gold asked, head tilted slightly. Killian nodded.

"And if we can agree to stay civil to each, I think no one should get hurt. Agreed?" Killian's eyes met Gold's, trying to signal to him that they would talk later. He appeared to get the message and nodded. "And, Belle?"

"Yes?" She seemed a bit nervous at his presence, which was expected. He had done some pretty awful things to her and to those she loved.

"I'm sorry." Belle clearly hadn't expected that. She nodded, smiling a small smile.

"It's in the past, Killian," she acknowledged. "Now, let's go see Henry."

* * *

_It wasn't her. At least, that's what he tried to tell himself. That the chances that it was actually her was so __microscopic, so impossible, it couldn't be. And Killian didn't want it to be her. And yet, he found himself elbowing through the crowd, ignoring the people he pushed through to get to her. Maybe a better view of her would convince him. Convince him that it wasn't or was her._

_He didn't want it to be her. The woman who had done one simple action and had set up his life to be Hell. Had destroyed his happiness when he had been young. Killian wished the Oliver was here, or even Adrian or Johnson. Any of them by his side when he found the answer as to who she was would've been wonderful. But alas, that was a luxury he didn't have. He would have to face this alone. It was almost ironic._

_Killian managed to get right in front of her path, just as the crowd parted for her. He stood his ground, refusing to move. And then the crowd parted, revealing the Lord's daughter. Lady Elena. His mother._

_He was positive of it now, seeing her up close. And when she saw him, Killian could see her face get paler. "Killian?" she asked, eyes wide. "What are you- How did you- Is your father-"_

_"Hello, Mother. How have you been for the past, oh, 7 years? Me, I've been better," Killian said, bitterness evident. It was clear she had never expected that they would meet again, at least, not like this. It stung him as he finally came to terms that she had never planned to come back for him. He had figured she had not planned on it, but figuring it out and actually finding out is two different things._

_"Killian..." she trailed off weakly. "How about we talk about this at my house, okay?" He shrugged._

_"Fine by me. Lead the way."_

* * *

_They got to a nice building structure that Killian instantly felt out of place in. Clean and reeking of money, it was. Elegant and homey, much like the woman before him. He couldn't call Elena his mother. Not really, not anymore. She kept twisting her hands, throwing glances to him._

_Killian knew that she would nearing her late 40s, if not early 50s. He had never been good with ages, so he wasn't sure. It didn't matter either way. All that mattered was what she was going to say._

_They entered a comfortable-looking parlor where Elena gestured for him to sit down. "I'll be back, going to get some tea," she explained, hesitating. "Would you like some __biscuits or anything?"_

_"Well, I would love an explanation, but tea and biscuits would be quite nice." The corners of Killian's mouth lifted into a smirk. Elena winced before leaving. Killian didn't feel guilty. She had left him. She had caused Adrian's murder. She was the cause of the way his life turned out. When she had left, it had set off a series of events. The Butterfly Effect, Killian supposed._

_Elena came back in, setting the tray on the table. They examined each other warily, as if scared of what they might find. Killian didn't think he had changed that much. He had gotten his ear pierced when he had been 16 and didn't regret it. His hair hadn't been combed in a few days, maybe a week. He reeked of salt water. Elena inhaled, relishing in the familiar scent._

_Elena, however, had changed quite a bit. Her hair had darkened to a redder tone and the curls were more loose. Her skin appeared to be even paler than before. Her face had aged, but besides that, Killian couldn't detect any more physical difference. She was dressed finer, yes, but she still looked like his mother. The one who had left him. On the inside, who knew how she had changed?_

_"So, how have you been? How has everyone been?" Elena asked, curious. It was obvious she cared about the answer, but whether it was because she didn't know that Jack and Xavier were dead or she really cared about them, Killian didn't know._

_"Well, I've been better. Hm, Adrian? The day after you left, the very day, Adrian was killed my Xavier. And do you want to know why, Mother Dearest?" Elena's eyes grew wide. "He died because I hadn't told Jack and Xavier what had happened to you. Like you had asked. And I told them to prevent them from killing him, but they said I needed a lesson. And they killed him. Jack gave the order and Xavier killed him. I like to think he's doing well in Heaven." The words were shot out of his lips like canon balls. They carried weight and he knew it._

_"Oh God," she breathed, but Killian ignored her._

_"Jack? Oh, I think Jack is burning in Hell. Maybe someone has taken pity on his soul and sent him to a __slightly better place, but not Heaven. Yeah, he died a year after Adrian died. Xaiver killed him. So he won't find you, no worries there." Elena closed her eyes and her hands became fists, clenching and unclenching. "Yeah, and then he blamed a crew member for doing it. So he killed them too. He thought he was so clever. But not clever enough."_

_Killian watched with fascination as his mother reacted to his life's story. What she had caused by leaving. He held no guilt for telling her. It was her fault, it was. If she hadn't left, a lot of things wouldn't have happened._

_"I got two friends. Oliver and Johnson, they were twins. They're 23 birthday is coming up soon, actually. They helped me plan to get revenge on Xavier. Avenge Adrian. That became my goal, you know? My obsession. And one day, I killed him. Not before he killed Johnson, though. Tore me and Oliver to shreds. It was awful, but I was glad when I killed that bastard. I know he's burning in Hell, Xavier. For Johnson, I imagine he's met Adrian. Oliver left my crew a few months ago, saying he had to go do something. So now I'm the Captain of my own ship, the Jolly Roger. How have you been, Mother? I'm sure it's a very interesting story as to how you ended up here." He could see her gulp and her hands shake. She sighed._

_"Well, I ran away your father when I was 17. And we were in love, or so I thought. And I ran away with him. After a while, I realized what an awful man he was. That's why I ran. I always thought that I would come back for you but... But things changed. I had certain responsibilities I couldn't abandon. The people who helped me get away helped me get a job as a nanny, then my father came to visit the Duke. He took me back with ease. I prayed for you and your brother everyday," she explained hesitantly._

_"And?"_

_"What do you mean by 'and'? That's it. That's my life now. Please enlighten me with what you mean by 'and', Killian." Elena wasn't a good liar or actress. It was obviously she was trying to hide something._

_"There's something you're clearly avoiding. What?" Killian asked. Elena opened her mouth when someone knocked on the door. A look of relief flooded Elena's face at the distraction. If she thought she was going to get away that easily, then that just showed how much she had changed._

_"Come in," she called. A small boy, couldn't be older than 5 or 6, came in. He was blonde and blue eyed, beautiful blue eyes. Elena's entire demeanor changed from slightly relaxed to rigid once more. "Alexander, I thought you were going to Jacob's house after your time with Auntie April?"_

_"I was, but Jacob was sick. His mother told me to give you her apologies." The boy, Alexander smiled, fidgeting. He then noticed Killian. He supposed he looked out of place, because Alexander stared at him. "Who's this?" Then, to him, "Are you one of Mommy's friends?"_

_"This is no one, Alexander," Elena tried to dismiss. "Now, go outside and let the adults talk, okay?" Alexander's face lit up, nodding._

_"Yes, Mommy," he responded, practically running outside. Killian choked on the tea he was drinking, the hot liquid burning his throat and mouth._

_"Mommy?" he asked, enraged. Elena closed her eyes and put her hands over one another, as if she was thinking or trying to calm himself down. "Do explain, Mother."_

_"He's my son. Your half brother, actually. He's 5 years old," she answered quietly._

_"And his father?" He thought that his vision was going black, at very least, red. He prayed he wouldn't enter a murderous rampage. Killian didn't want to kill his mother, no matter what she had done._

_"My husband." And with that, Killian's eyes widened to the size of his very own head. No, she wouldn't have gotten married and had another son... But he had just seen living, breathing proof that she had._

_"Your husband!" he exclaimed, angry. She opened her mouth to say something, but Killian didn't let her. "Does he know about us? About me? Exactly how much does your family know about your years at sea, Mother? Do they even know about Adrian and I, at least? God, this was why you left! To get a perfect life with a perfect husband with a perfect little boy. Well, now that makes sense. You hated us, didn't you? That's why you ran, wasn't it? And to think, I thought you had only left to be safe from Jack, but no, you left to get a perfect life," Killian spat, furious._

_"Killian, let me explain-"_

_"Explain what, exactly?" he growled, and Elena winced._

_"I was engaged since birth. When I came back, plans for marriage started immediately. It wasn't my choice, not at all. And I tried to come back to you but if I couldn't leave the house by myself, let alone come back for you. And no, they don't know about you. All they know is that I ran away with someone. I never say anything else." Killian rose._

_"And I thought that Jack and Xavier were the only evil ones in the family." With that, he spun on his heel and out the door, after Alexander. His brother. His little brother. It was a strange feeling._

_"Killian, what are you doing?" Elena called after him, following close behind._

_"Going to properly introduce myself to Alexander," he responded, smiling wickedly. Elena got so pale right then Killian was half scared she would actually faint._

_"No," she begged. "Please, no."_

_"Oh, yes, I am." Killian then entered the backyard to reveal Alexander climbing a tree expertly. He was quick and nimble, fast. Much like Killian. His heart ached for the small child, but he knew what he had to do. He was perched on one of the highest branches in the tree, looking at the sky._

_"Hullo, Alexander," he called, and the boy's head swiveled to look at him. He looked nervous, like he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. Maybe he had._

_"I'm sorry! I just really wanted to climb the tree!" he cried. Killian held his hands up in surrender._

_"It's okay, I'm not going to punish you. I just wanted to talk to you. Do you want to come down or do you want me to come up?" Alexander's face burst into a giant grin._

_"Come up, please! I really like being up here, plus there's enough room. But I thought adults didn't climb trees. That's what Daddy says," he responded, slightly confused.  
_

_"Well, I may look like an adult, but trust me, I'm anything but. And your parents aren't always right, kiddo," Killian answered, starting to climb the tree. He was a natural climber, and in no time he was right besides Alexander._

_"Really? Wow." Alexander's blue eyes were large and innocent. They were the same color of Killian's own orbs, reflecting the very heart and soul of the ocean. With a start, Killian realized that, besides the blonde hair, Alexander looked quite a bit like a younger version of him. "It's nice to meet someone that doesn't yell at me for climbing trees."_

_"Yeah, I didn't like being yelled at when I was a kid, either," Killian agreed, smiling. He was a cute little kid. He almost felt bad about what he was about to do, but he knew that if he grew up a lie, if Alexander found out he would die._

_"Mister? Exactly who are you?" Alexander asked once more, confused. He furrowed his brow and Killian resisted the urge to laugh and ruffle the boy's hair. He just gave him a smile._

_"I'm Killian Jones, Captain of the Jolly Roger, and your brother. Or, half brother, at least." Alexander's eyes lit up._

_"I have a brother! Really? Awesome!" he said, smiling largely. Killian smiled faintly._

_"Yeah. But I have to go now, okay? I'm probably never going to come back, though." At that, Alexander's smile faded._

_"No, you can't leave! You just found us. We can live together, Mommy and Daddy won't mind!" he exclaimed. Killian shook his head. "Why not, Killian? Please, stay! Stay here! We can be happy!"_

_"I don't think your parents will want me here, kiddo," Killian tried._

_"Alexander, get down right away! Get away from him!" Elena cried, rushing out. "Killian, if you-"_

_"Mommy, guess what? Killian is my brother! Can we keep him?" He snorted at the young boy's term of phrase. Alexander looked at Elena with eyes so large and hopeful, he could actually see her saying yes. Killian climbed down with Alexander on his back to save time._

_"No, Alexander, we can most definitely not keep him," was Elena's cool answer. And that hurt Killian more than anything. It hurt so much. If his own mother didn't want him, who would? He would never love, at this point he thought he was incapable of anything except hate and moderate affection at best, so who would he be loved by? Who could ever love someone who had grown up never knowing love?_

_"Thank you, Mother. Thank you for clearly stating your feelings about me." Tears blurred his vision as he took Alexander to Elena. "I hope you're happy with your new perfect life. Because I don't plan on being in it."_

_"Killian, that isn't what I meant-"_

_"Oh yes it was. It was instinct for you, to say that. You don't want me here. Fine, Mother. Just fine. But I want you to know that you did this. You killed Adrian and Johnson. You drove me away." Killian's voice was angry, booming loud. Alexander winced, and reached for Killian with his hand._

_"Stay?" he asked, tears filling his younger brother. Killian shook his head._

_"I can't. But know this," he said softly, crouching down. Alexander nodded, eyes wide. "I'll always be here, okay? I'll visit you from time to time, okay? Even if you don't see me, I will be here. I promise." Alexander's smile was gigantic, stretching from ear to ear._

_"Okay!" he chirped happily. Killian rose, ruffling the blonde hair that sat atop Alexander's head. _

_"Goodbye, Mother." And with a turn on his heel, Killian left the house, tears welling up in his eyes. His mother, his own flesh and blood mother, didn't want him. Fine. Just fine._

_But he would watch over Alexander. He would keep him safe and visit him from time to time. It would keep his promise to the young lad and destroy his mother without ever speaking a single word to her ever __again._

* * *

_There was mist. Lots and lots of mist. It was white and fluffy, like a cloud. But that was all she could see. Whiteness and fog. So much fog. It felt like her lungs were constricting, possibly from slight claustrophobia. _

_She had opened her eyes moments ago, or at least that's what she thought. In truth, she didn't know how long she had been there. And she wasn't sure she wanted to know. It was painstakingly quiet, and she hated it. She felt like there was something bad about to happen, the chills curling up her neck. It was a nice temperature, warm, so it couldn't have been that making the hairs on her neck stand out._

_"Hello?" she called, standing on her tip-toes to get a better view. "HELLO?" she tried again, slightly frustrating. "Anyone here, or am I just talking to myself?" She almost wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, but didn't. The only funny thing was her talking to herself, or to air. "Am I dead or something? Is this Heaven or Hell or Purgatory? Any of those?"_

_And that's when she heard it. A soft whoosh coming from above her. She looked up, craning her neck to get a good view. It was a single piece of paper, old and slightly frayed. Parchment, not paper, she decided._

_As soon as it began in reaching grasp, she jumped for it and grabbed it, crumpling it slightly. She hastily unfolded it, __grateful for something to do, to have something occupy her mind besides questions._

_'Patience, my dear. You're going to be here for quite a while, so get comfortable. Anything you need will appear in good time, so please keep that in mind. The good time part. _

_And no, you are not dead, Emma Swan. Not yet, anyways.'_

* * *

**Note: _Próditur _means Betrayer in Latin. I figured to tell you guys that.**

**Okay, I am so happy! This is 6,000 words, people! The longest chapter EVER! If chapters get ****longer than this, the gaps are going to get progressively bigger. Haha.**

**So, what did you think of... All that? Lot of stuff to throw at you, sorry about that. And the whole Emma thing I've been toying with for a while, think chapter 8. I didn't know where to put it and after some advice from a friend, I put it in this chapter. Plus, if I hadn't gotten it out in this chapter or the next the story would be about 50 chapters long. And I'm not good with writing 'quiet time'. So, ta-da! **

**And you know how Henry woke up? All of his symptoms, well, almost all, happened to me after 3 hours of sleep. Not the best way to wake up, trust me on that one. **

**Rumplestiltskin and Killian are probably going to go head-to-head later on, maybe. Their relationship isn't a main factor in this story, at least, not yet, and I probably won't do too much with it. Charming and Killian, on the other hand, is something I laugh while writing (strangely) and enjoy it, so that should pop up a bit more. **

**Uh, yeah. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and checked out the Song of the Chapter! I think that it does describe Killian's life in the past, at least of where we are now. I listened to that and another song (along with several Disney songs and other musical song ****clippets)a lot while writing this chapter. :)**

**See you next time!**


	12. Into the Mist

**Okay, I now know where I'm going and have a vague idea of when I'm gonna get there! Yay! So, hopefully no more surprises that surprise both you and me. **

**Song of the Chapter: That Girl by the Noisettes. **

* * *

"So, what's wrong with him? Is it a curse, is it a spell gone haywire?" Snow asked nervously, gently biting her lip. Regina, Gold, and the Blue Fairy were all examining Henry, trying to figure out just what it could be. Snow and David looked over the scene in their worried grandparent-y way. Killian just stood there awkwardly, not really sure what to do. What role to play in this situation.

"It's definitely magic. Dark magic, very dark. But it's very strange," Astrid answered, brow furrowed in concentration and confusion. "The magic is so complex, I think there's more than one spell that's been placed over Henry."

"What do you mean?" A pit had dropped in Killian's stomach and was getting heavier with every passing second. "There's someone who placed at least 2 spells on him? Who would do that to Henry? Honestly, who would want to hurt Henry?" Rumplestiltskin gave Killian a pointed look, which he ignored. He had expected it, he supposed. All the hateful glances and uncertainty. It was expected, but not welcomed.

"That's very good question, one we don't have an answer to," Astrid replied. Killian groaned, placing his face in his hands. "There's no way to find out who did this. But I think we can all agree that whoever cast the spells on Henry is very far away. In a different world, maybe the Enchanted Forest. It's hard to track who cast a spell normally, forget when the castor is in a different world. It's impossible."

"Is there a cure? Do we even need a cure or do we just wait? Is he okay?" David asked, fiercely protective of his grandson.

"We can't tell. The magic is so complex, who knows what would happen if we even cast a simple healing spell." Mr. Gold's thumb rubbed the top of his cane anxiously. "I've never seen anything like it."

"What about True Love's Kiss? Wouldn't that heal him?" Snow suggested. Regina, Astrid, and Gold all exchanged a look, talking to each other in hand movements and eye signals. Never good.

"Spit it out," Killian ordered, gesturing with his hand angrily. He was frustrated, and having information kept from him would be one step closer to punching a wall. Or Mr. Gold. Either would suffice. They exchanged one last glance before Regina spoke up.

"Well, there are a few problems there. Finding his True Love, for one thing. Who knows how long it would take? Having every single girl in Storybrooke kiss him is not only inefficient, but time consuming. And we don't know the long term affects of Henry's predicament. It's worth a shot, of course. It is the 'cure' for every curse, well, almost every curse. We just need the time and the information. That's the problem," Regina explained. "And if True Love's Kiss isn't the cure, he will die. True Love's Kiss either breaks the curse or kills the person under the curse. There are only few curses like that, but who knows. This is something else. Something that involves pure dark magic. And what if one curse's answer is True Love's Kiss, and the other isn't? It could leave him in this state forever, or do who knows what to him." Regina twisted her fingers, and Killian remembered that she was Henry's adoptive mother. She cared about him, actually cared. Surprise, surprise. Ms. Evil Queen actually had a living, beating heart.

At the word 'dark', Killian's head snapped up. That was it! It was the Darkness doing it. His stomach twisted with the realization. He could probably do something, fight the Darkness for Henry. Try to get him out of the strange coma. "Everyone out," he ordered, startling everyone. He knew he could do something, and he knew no one would like it. Plus, it would be easier to work without every single person breathing down his neck and asking 'What are you doing?'. Very annoying, and Killian did not need that right now.

"Killian, what are you-" Charming began, but Snow but a hand on his shoulder. He shut his mouth, nodding. "Come on, everyone out."

"Are you going to listen to him?" Gold asked incredulously. "He could kill Henry, for all we know! Leave and never look back. And you're leaving him alone with Henry?"

"Yes." With a dark look from David and the utter amount of seriousness in the single word, Gold sighed and walked out. He didn't even look back, didn't even slow his normal pace. The ominous sound of the cane echoed in the room, giving Killian a bad feeling.

"If he kills Henry, I refuse to be held responsible." Killian winced slightly. He almost yelled something back, but figured it wasn't worth the trouble.

"Sorry about, well, him," Belle sighed. "You know how he is." She gave a quick smile to Killian and placed the books down on Henry's nightstand. "For when he wakes up," she explained. Killian nodded as she left. She trusted him. Belle trusted him. Well, that was an unexpected development. It made him smile. Regina then cleared her throat, directing the attention to her.

"Killian, are you sure you can-"

"No. Now leave." Regina opened her mouth, glaring. She turned to Snow and Charming.

"And this is the man we're trusting to take care of Henry?" she said, eyebrows high. Snow nodded.

"He's usually more, how shall I say, put together, than this," she answered slowly.

Regina faced him, face hard. "Just... Just take care of him, okay?" Her sheild broke for a second, and Killian saw all the pain behind her eyes, the pain she had endured. She then brushed past him to get out the door.

Astrid quietly left, slinking out the door. "I'll be in the lobby," she called, her blue scarf hitting the door frame. Snow and Charming left right after her, trying to linger a little bit. Snow left, leaving just David.

"Be careful, okay? Whatever you're planning to do... Be careful with him."

He closed the door behind him. Killian then observed the hospital room. There was a sink, towels, a full cabinet of medication, a couple surgical instruments, blankets, basically everything a doctor could need to save a serious injured patient and then some. Killian grabbed a glove and bit down on the edge. He slipped his hand inside of it and then sterilized his hook. Although whether he would need it or not, he wasn't sure. Better to be prepared than sorry.

* * *

_Henry was once more in the place __with white fog. But this time, it was different. It was slightly less foggy and he could barely make out the outline of... Something. He didn't know what it was, just that it was there. _

_The air was salty and cool with a slight wind blowing the fog about. It reminded him of Killian showing him how to sail, but without the water. He chuckled slightly. Henry decided to walk towards the outline, even though he suspected that the longer he walked, the farther away it would get. It would be impossible to get to, at least in this state. Whatever state he was in. _

_He knew that he had been sick. That the Darkness had sent him there. That he had been there before in a dream. The voice that had called his name, the one he couldn't identify. That's where he was. Was it Heaven? Hell? A place that wasn't anywhere? _

_This time, however, the world didn't disappear into a black world where he would be stabbed with pins, no, he was stuck there. Henry figured that this option was better. At least he wasn't in pain this time. That was nice._

_He sometimes heard the shells of voices, echoing from above. Or so it seemed. Flashes of phrases were heard every so often, but not often enough. It was too quiet, far too quiet. Henry hated it, he hated the __quietness of it all. It was a smothering sort of quiet, covering everything in its uncomfortable atmosphere. _

_Henry kept walking around, anxious to do something. There was nothing to do except walk. He hated the utter simpleness of it. It was painfully simple, and he hated it. His mind was dull, everything was dull. Numb. That was the word for it. Numb. And that was almost worse than the needles had had last time. It was too simple, and his head felt like it was going to explode from the boredom._

_"Help." The word just barely reached his ears, twirling around in the wind. "Help me." The voice sounded young and male. Henry started running towards the voice, panicking slightly. "HELP ME!" It grew louder and louder, soon to the point of screeching. Henry tried to find his way around the mist, but he didn't know where he was going._

_Eventually, Henry reached a break in the fog. A tall, lanky teen stood with his back to him, wailing. The break in the fog was a circle with the boy exactly in the center. Henry raced towards the boy, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around._

_It was Henry. Except, it wasn't. This Henry had nothing on his already slight frame, his bones painfully visible. His entire body could easily be mistaken for a skeleton, not just because of the visible bones. His skin was a sickly-bluish-white. His clothes hung on him, far too big for him. He was smiling, like he hadn't been screaming just moments before. That wasn't even the worst part._

_Henry's hazel eyes were black voids. No cornea, no iris, no pupil. His eyes were just large black holes. Henry's younger double smiled, revealing pointed, bloodied teeth and a forked, black tongue. _

_"Nice of you to finally join the party," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I've been waiting for you, Henry."_

_"What the hell are you?" Henry heard himself say when he got his vocal cords to work. The smile on his double's face grew, splitting his cheeks raggedly and going close up to his ears._

_"I'm what's inside of you."_

* * *

It was impossible to break the barrier that the Darkness had encased Henry in. Killian had tried every method he knew, every technique he could do to coax Henry out of the Darkness's spell. It was obvious he wanted to talk to Henry. He slammed his fist on the wall, frustrated. Henry was getting paler and paler with every passing minute. He had to get Henry out of this soon or he would die. Probably. Not one to try the chances though. Killian racked his brain for every possible solution. Magic might help, but it could also hurt. Either way, he didn't have any. The remedy he had used to get Henry from the Darkness Fit he had tried. Four times.

"I can see you've done nothing." The Crocodile's smooth voice caused Killian's head to jerk up. Killian tried not to look, so of course he looked. There he was, the Crocodile himself, leaning on his cane. "What are you doing, anyways? You're no doctor, nor are you a wizard. So what are you doing? Trying to kill him?"

Killian said nothing, trying to ignore the jab at him. Gold walked over to Henry's bedside, something close to worried being played across his features. He took in the blood-red rags and sheets, the bowl of water, and the various other instruments Killian had used.

"I have no clue as to what you're trying to do," Gold admitted, frustrated. 'Join the club,' Killian thought bitterly. "This is like no spell I've ever seen. And none of what you've done here has ever been used as a remedy- or a curse. At least, not to my knowledge. So, please enlighten me as to what you're doing." They were both staring at Henry, not daring to look each other in the eyes. Instead, they looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"If I told you, Henry might die." Gold's face paled. He leaned onto his cane for more support, trying to stay standing up.

"You're joking," he accused, his accent thickening considerably. Evidence he was shaken. Killian allowed a bitter smile to grace his features at his reaction. "You don't have that kind of power. Or are you just threatening to kill him yourself?"

"I don't have that kind of power," Killian agreed, nodding along. "And I would never, ever, hurt Henry. But what's wrong with Henry will. And I know what he's going through. I've tried all the remedies I know of to get Henry out of the coma. I've never had anything like this happen before. It's complicated, okay? And you need to accept that I'm not the core of your problems. If we can keep from killing each other, then we may actually be able to help Henry. So, help me? Or kill me?"

Rumplestiltskin looked at his grandson, lying in the hospital bed practically dead. "We'll be able to help him?" His voice was distant. "He'll survive?"

"I can't guarantee anything. But the chances would be admittedly better if we tried," he replied pointedly. Gold nodded.

"What do you need?"

* * *

_The second Killian crossed the threshold of his ship, he doubled over, a pain in his chest. It had been 4 years since he had first met Alexander, and he had just been boarding after a visit with the boy. He was growing into a fine young lad, one who craved the sea. Killian said he would take Alexander on his ship when he was old enough, but he was nervous for him. He wasn't sure how the lad would react to life at sea._

_The pain was excruciating. It started right at his heart, spreading like roots to the rest of his body. He fell to the ground, spasming. His limbs jerked themselves and he couldn't control his body. "Captain!" someone shouted, and then everything went dark.  
_

_When he awoke, a new set of thoughts accompanied his normal ones. Dark, twisted thoughts. Killian sat up and threw up, chest heaving and eyes watering. Everything in Killian's stomach emptied itself in the bucket that had been placed next to his bedside. It was a mixture of red and black blood, crawling up his throat every second. It was like he had an endless supply of whatever it was that he was throwing up._

_It went on like this for hours, and as time went on he could clearly hear the new thoughts in his head. They weren't his, maybe just a hallucination, but they hurt. It was like his brain was on fire. The voice wasn't always clear, but when it was, it hit Killian in sore spots._

_'Your mother left you, your father hated you, your brother wanted to kill you, why would anyone want you?' It screamed. And it hurt. The words hurt him, hurt him hard. But at least he had the vomiting to focus on. Not much better, but still better._

_"Cap'n?" A small voice asked, entering the room quietly. "You alright? We set sail hours ago, you were unconscious for a while." __It was the newest member to his crew, a boy barely 13 years old. Tiny thing, looked no older than 8._

_Killian could do nothing, for the blood was still rushing out of his mouth. He shook his head, amazed that the boy even had to ask. The boy, Aldric or something, came in, lugging behind him a bucket filled with water. He kneeled next to Killina and gently patted his back. He did this while taking a rag dipped in the cold water and swiping it across his sweat-covered forehead._

_The second the vomiting stopped, Killian passed out. He was tired, his mouth felt dead, and his stomach was reeling. He craved sleep. So, he slept. He slept and slept and slept until sleep became bleak and stretched out and boring._

* * *

_Henry's mind felt like it was __about to explode. That thing was inside of him? That awful, horrible thing? Is that who he was? Is that what the Darkness turned him into? He resisted the urge to... Do something and tried to remain calm. _

_"Scared, aren't we?" He smirked, drawing closer, closer, closer, until __the two were mere inches apart. Henry could feel his double frozen breath on his skin, causing him to shiver. "You were always so easy to scare, to frighten in submission." Henry 2 disappeared, startling him. He took a step back, stunned. Henry turned around, looking for his dark double. "Boo." The word was whispered into his ear, causing him to jump. A chilling laugh followed soon after. Henry looked over his shoulder, finding his face looking back at him. Like looking into a fun house mirror. Except this was no fun house, and the thing in front of him was no mirror. "You see?" he laughed, delighted. "You are so easy to scare! It's almost adorable!"_

_Henry felt small, small and young. "What do you want?" His tone was panicked, shaking, and he hated that his fear, his nervousness showed. Again, his double smiled, and Henry wanted to slap him. Or curl up in a shaking ball of fear. A grin almost identical to the Cheshire Cat's smile flickered across Henry 2's face, and Henry resisted the urge to shiver._

_"If I told you, I wouldn't have any fun!" Henry 2 clapped his hands together. 'Mad,' Henry thought. 'He's mad.' "Come, I have so much to show you!" For a second, the black eyes shimmered red before resuming to the normal. "If you don't come with me, I'll drive you insane!" And then he let out a giggle, spinning around with his arms extended. "It would be so much fun!"_

_His eyes widened. He silently followed him through the fog, parting enough to see inches in front of Henry 2. A cold pit of fear had nestled itself in Henry's stomach, and he tried not to turn around and run. "Remember," his double said softly, turning his head back slightly, "I'll drive you insane." The grin on his face, the pure happiness, the innocence only comparable to a child's, sickened Henry. Frightened him. He turned frontwards once more and continued on the path he had set out, like nothing had happened._

_Henry's fingers found themselves, knotting them together and cracking one another. A bad, nervous habit. He was terrified, as ashamed as he was to admit it. He was following the Darkness, or some manifestation of the Darkness to who knew where. Who wouldn't be afraid? But nonetheless, Henry was ashamed. He was a strong person that had been broken. And now, only one thought raced through his mind, setting off flares and warnings._

_Henry 2 was mad. Completely and utterly mad._

* * *

"Isn't this supposed to be the part where he wakes up?" Gold's nervous voice reminded Killian that he actually did care for Henry. That they were related by blood. It hit Killian in a sore spot, one he didn't know existed.

"It could take some time," he answered, although he was just as concerned as Gold, perhaps more so. Why wasn't it working? And that's when it hit him like lightning. "That's it!"

Gold looked at him, slightly worried. "Are you alright?" he snickered, bemused.

"Of course," Killian murmured, turning to the wall and piecing things together. "He wants to talk to him. He won't release him until he's gotten his message across. He would never kill him. I just hope Henry obeys..."

"What are you talking about?" The pure confusion on Gold's face stopped Killian cold.

"Henry is fine. Well, he won't die. We just need to wait until he's done talking. Then Henry will be fine." The Darkness was talking to Henry, possibly trying to destroy him. So, technically, Henry wasn't fine. He would live. But who knew what state he would be in? Killian just hoped that he wouldn't go mute again. The look of pure happiness in his face when he got his voice back... He couldn't have Henry loose it again.

"Are you positive? That he'll be okay?"

"No. But it's our best chance. It doesn't matter what we do, he won't wake up until he's done."

"Who's done? What are you not telling?" Gold was furious. That much was obvious. But Killian didn't care.

"Everything. Again, if I tell you, I don't know what will happen. Just, trust me, okay? He'll wake up. Eventually." The nervousness in Killian's tone was not missed by Gold, yet he remained quiet.

"Now we wait. Don't let anyone in, okay? I doubt they will respond well to the 'wait' tacit well. We just need to keep them out, and eventually he'll wake up. Pull up a chair. We have a couple more hours, most likely."

Reluctantly, Gold pulled up a chair besides Killian and looked at the scarily scrawny teen. His face was a contortion of pain and terror, continuously moving. Killian's stomach churned, and he reached for his hand. "It's okay," he whispered. "Just do as he says."

Killian could feel Gold's eyes burning into his back. He knew that he should tell him what was going on, but what if the Darkness did something to Henry? Cause him to completely and utterly self destruct. For now, it was best to keep it a secret between the two of them.

Henry's fingers closed around Killian's, like he was trying to make a fist. "What is he doing to you?" he murmured. His heart broke for Henry, knowing what he was going through.

The Darkness knew everything about you. It was you, it became you. It knew how to take you down with a single sentence, no, a single word. He knew just how to cause someone to self destruct. You never got a break, for it was always inside of you. Ripping you to shreds with ease. And he enjoyed watching you squirm, watching the pain he caused.

Henry's fist suddenly became unbearably tight, squeezing so hard Killian could feel the bruises forming. It was so tight Killian couldn't wiggle his fingers out. "Little help?" he asked, showing Gold his predicament. As the two grappled themselves with the unbelievably hard task of freeing Killian's hand, Killian noticed Henry blinked.

His eyes were black. Completely, entirely black.

* * *

_"Where are we going?" Henry asked, unable to hold his tongue. They had been walking for what seemed like hours, yet it may just have been a few minutes. Time was strange in the misty-world. Henry 2 ignored him, just giggled and kept pulling Henry through the mist. "Do you have a name?" Once more, he was greeted with silence. "Is there anything you can tell me?"_

_"Call me Daniel. That's your middle name," Daniel said suddenly, very matter-of-factly. "Henry Daniel Mills. Henry after Regina's father, and Daniel after her first and only love." Henry blinked slowly. He wasn't sure how Daniel knew all of that, but didn't ask. What he was wondering was why he choose to be called his middle name. And why he even answered his question._

_"Anything else?" Henry said slowly, trying to process his thoughts. It wasn't working._

_"He wants to talk to you. Just talk to you, as long as you behave." Daniel said this with his head facing straight forward, and for the first time since Henry had met him, he sounded sane. Normal. Calm. Slightly sympathetic, if he had put an emotion into the voice. He seemed concerned for Henry, truly. But then Daniel turned his head and smiled a child's smile- also known as the psychopath's smile on anyone above the age of 6._

_"That's good, I guess." Henry tried to remain calm, but his nervousness showed. Daniel chuckled, causing Henry to freeze. "What?" Henry asked, stopping short. He wouldn't move until he got an answer, he decided. No matter what the cost._

_"Nu-thing," Daniel sang, spinning around on his heel, evidently giddy. "Nu-thing at all." His carefree face then morphed into one of ice and chill. "Now hurry up, or he'll be mad. And you don't want him to be mad."_

_Henry remained silent, not even wanting to ask the unspoken question. He didn't want to know the answer, and Daniel clearly knew how uncomfortable he was. What he was thinking about. _

_"He'll destroy you, if he's mad. Not before torturing you first, of course."_

* * *

**Writer's block. I have a block, that I am slowly wearing down. The next chapter won't be for a little while, but I'll try to get it up ASAP. I'm trying to finish up my other work-in-progress, and that has one or two chapters left. Also, September isn't an easy month for me, so the next chapter might be a bit... Disturbing? Emotional? Gory? Something along those lines. **

**This chapter I kind of just said, 'Okay, let's just end it here before someone begins to start a mob to come and find me.' I think 4,000 will be the average, but I am determined to write a 10,000 word chapter... At some point in this story. Probably more towards the end. On the bright side, my second favorite number is the next chapter! (My first favorite number is 39, 3 x 13, 3 times the unlucky) So, I'll probably give you guys a treat... Or a treat for myself. Either way, I'm gonna have loads of fun writing it.**

**If you have any theories for the story, please tell me! I really enjoy reading them and seeing who gets closest... :) See you guys next chapter!**


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